The Original Phoenix Ashes
by otaku-no-miko
Summary: Everything's got an expiration date. The Universe of the Four Gods is no exception. Chapter 7 up! never to be updated again this was the rough version of the story, to read more look to Phoenix Ashes
1. Chapter 1

**Pheonix Ashes**

A Fushigi Yuugi universe deathfic written by otaku-no-miko

**Length**-no longer than maybe 20 chapters, I hope.

**Pairings**- Now, if I told you that, it wouldn't be interesting, would it!

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; G for this chapter. As always, it's Tasuki's potty mouth that gets me in trouble.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. At all. I'm a sophomore in high school, people. I can barely afford the PSAT fees, much less afford to publish and distribute a world-famous manga If you seem to think that I could ever own FY, I will send you to this disclaimer which states not only my nonexistent ownership of said series but my current financial state and laugh at you. Very loudly.

**NOTE:**This is most likely my last story. Ever. Out of a deep respect for the people I have met and befriended on this site, I will complete and post it on the site in its entirety. However, FF will have to shape up a LOT for me to consider returning. If you're confused, please visit my bio page. Thanks, and see ya at the bottom.

_Some say the world will end in fire,  
some say in ice.  
From what I've tasted of desire  
I hold with those who favor fire.  
_

_But if it had to perish twice,  
I think I know enough of hate  
To say that for destruction ice  
Is also great  
And would suffice._

Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice"

"'Kaa-san, I'm not tiiiiiiiiired yet!"

Kajiwara Yui laughed at her young daughter's petulant face, the five-year old stubbornly fighting yawns as she refused to go to bed.

"Yuri-chan, it's already past bedtime for little ones. You don't want to be tired for your first day of kindergarten, do you?"

The child seemed to think this over, small face screwing up in deep concentration before she assented.

"Okay..."

She watched her mother slyly before adding, "But I want a night-night story."

Yui smiled gently at the little girl. If Tetsuya got home and saw her still up, there would be a reckoning, but she might as well humor the child, right?

She moved slightly on the oversized 'big girl' bed they had given Yuri for her fourth birthday, a hand resting on the design of interlocked phoenixes and dragons that her daughter had said was 'so pretty!', choosing it over Barbie or Hello Kitty. Yuri eagerly burrowed under the covers, delight at attaining one of her mommy's bedtime stories overwhelming the small face. Yuri liked mommy's stories better than daddy's, 'cause mommy would tell her about priestesses and demons and gods while daddy just read _Stuart-ko_ to her, and Stuart-ko was boooooooooring!

"I wanna hear the 'wari story! Can I, 'kaa-san?"

Yui mock-groaned. "You always wanna hear the 'wari story', Yuri-chan!"

The little girl giggled, quick to change her face to the pleading puppy-dog eyes her Miaka oba-san had taught her. "Onegai, kaa-san?"

Yui rolled her eyes. Miaka had to go and teach Yuri the puppy-dog eyes, didn't she? Holding her hands up in defeat, she laughed. "Okay little one, you win, you win!"

Yuri smirked happily, clapping her small hands together. The owari story always took at least two or three nights, and it was a loooong one too, so she could stay up late! "Wai wai!!! Arigatou, kaa-san!!!!!!"

Yui shook her head bemusedly at her daughter's enthusiasm, letting her eyes drift shut as her voice shifted to the gentle, melodic tones needed to sing the song Chichiri-sama had taught her so many years ago.

"_Meguriawase_

_Hitotsu machigaeba..._"

------

**Six years earlier...**

"Yui-chan! Yui-chan, if you don't hurry up, we'll be la-ate!!!!"

Miaka Yuuki was torn between hauling her best friend bodily off of the phone receiver and out the door or being patient for the first time in her life when Yui gave her fiancé a quick "aishiteru, bai!", giving the younger brunette a dirty glance as she grabbed her purse. Miaka grinned innocently in response as the two girls started out the door at a half-run.

"You know I have nothing against you and Tetsuya talking, but our study group's about ready to murder _both_ of us for being late all the time!"

"And whose fault is that?" Yui retorted dryly, and Miaka blushed. Okay, okay, so she wasn't the fastest mover in the morning...

"See? Case closed. I win, Mi-chan." Yui stated simply after the empty silence, opening the door calmly.

"Yuiiiii, don't call me that!"

------

The library was surprisingly empty for a Monday; normally, you could find high-schoolers and college-aged kids alike studying for miscellaneous tests or exams. Their study group was smaller today, as well-when they arrived, Takahashi Megumi sighed and told them she was glad they had at least showed up-most of the girls had skipped out on their study day to go to a big sale she'd heard Kinokuniya Bookstore was having. On that note, she told them they were free to study whatever they felt like, since there was no use in trying to catch ten other girls up on a day of missed notes and lecture.

Normally, Miaka and Yui would race to be free of the library's tomb-like silence early, but today Yui held her friend back, saying she wanted to check the computer database for something. Miaka held still as Yui typed in five characters with practiced speed and hit 'ENTER'. The search came back-no hits. The library apparently didn't have the book Yui had been looking for.

Yui frowned at that news. "Miaka-chan, this isn't good."

"_Nani_? But Yui, what were you looking for?"

Yui's expression grew darker. "The Four Gods' Earth and Sky...it's not in the directory. Last time that happened, Mayo-san had the book, but...she returned it right after returning."

Miaka matched her friends' frown. "Are you absolutely sure? Try looking up Okuda Einosuke-maybe they haven't shown it as back on the shelves, or they don't show restricted books or something like that."

Yui's expression didn't change, but she nodded her assent to the idea, typing in the name and searching for the author.

"Miaka, I see all these research books, but none of them-wait! Here's one. That's why I missed it; the title's different for some reason! It's The Universe of the Four Gods, not The Four Gods' Earth and Sky."

Miaka thought for a second, face screwed up in concentration. She could have sworn Yui had the title right! She had seen the cover multiple times over the three years since she had left the book, as had Yui. It wasn't like the older blonde to forget a detail like a title; she still remembered Miaka's favorite TV show when she had been seven, for crying out loud!

"...and Mi-chan, look, it's under the Historical Reference section, not the Restricted Books area. I wonder why?"

"Yui-chan, do you think it's possible that maybe we have two different books here?" Miaka voiced her opinion quietly, sitting down at one of the tables nearby. "I mean, we could find it in Historical References, or it could be in Restricted Books. And it's important we don't lose track of it, because another girl could be taken in."

"You've got a point, Miaka. Why don't we split up? You check the Restricted Area, because you were the one that originally found the book, and I'll check the Historical References."

Miaka nodded. "But can we hurry? I want to call and let Taka know what's going on now."

Yui smiled and nodded. Ever since marriage to the reincarnation of Tamahome, Miaka hadn't wanted to leave his side at all, and he had shared those sentiments. "Alright. Now shoo, you! The quicker we do this, the faster you can call him!"

With a laugh, the two split up, each heading a separate direction.

------

Yui followed the aisles, wondering at the many titles that would hold her interest momentarily before she moved on, still searching for one name, one title among the sea of literature.

Finally, her roving eyes landed on one shelf, a small, dirty placard proclaiming it to hold the works of Einosuke Okuda. Allowing a smile of triumph, she began to trail a finger along the spines, finally stopping on one thick volume almost hesitantly before pulling it out.

The proud red cover had faded to a rusty brown from lack of sunlight, and the golden-gilded lettering was now a mustard-colored yellow, but it still was the same book. She opened the front cover carefully, dislodging a piece of lined paper with a pencil sketch on it-a man, probably in his early thirties, clear-faced and with dark, piercing eyes that seemed to live from the plain lines of white and fading blue. Below it was two lines of print:

"I love you 'Tou-san! Come home soon!

-Taki-chan"

So this was Einosuke. Takiko had been a good artist-the rendering of her father was breathtaking, simple and elegant. Yui looked at the paper a little longer, at the modest smile and the small curls on his forehead before folding it, placing the fragile work in her pocket. Einosuke didn't have the face of a murderer, even though Tetsuya had told her many times what he had done-how he had murdered his daughter in cold blood after she began to be devoured by Genbu-seikun. He looked more like a workaholic, a man who loved his family more than life itself and would rather die slowly than hurt a fly.

Shaking herself out of the depressing thoughts, she flipped the first page cautiously. The text was exactly the same-it still held the time-tested tale of a young girl who would summon one of the four mythical gods to save a kingdom in mortal peril and gain the omnipotent power invested in the beast god. And turning the page, she recognized the simplistic rendering of Tamahome saving her and Miaka so many years ago.

The book was the same, she realized, flipping page after page to see the story she and her friends had lived in the last three years, finally ending at Mayo's awakening from the fake deity's control and the final summoning of Suzaku.

But there was a new page, the handwriting now shaky, as if the writer was writing by bad light and feared discovery:

"_And thus Konan and its peoples were saved once more. Yet, even as the heavenly maidens left the healing lands, evil once more descended to destroy the happiness that had returned to these realms, and this time, salvation will come from you, dear reader. Do you dare turn the page and embark on a journey that these others pale in comparison to? For, if you do, gentle reader, you may hold the key to eternal freedom for these tainted lands."_

Yui frowned. That sounded like Tai-Itsukun, mysterious and withholding yet a tantalizing storyteller with the ability to shake the cores of a reader's mind, to make them believe her every word rang true.

Although she had never admitted it, Yui had always envied Miaka-the younger woman had gotten friendship, love, and eternal worship, while she had been immortalized on these pages as a plot point, as nothing more than a side character. She wanted one of these stories to be hers and hers alone, where she could shine.

With that thought, she turned the page, allowing the warm and gentle blue light to surround her frame and Seiryu's eternally frightening yet beautiful battle cry sound in her mind before falling into darkness.

------

Miaka frowned, circling the shelves once more before going back towards the doorway, casting a longing and almost sad glance to the room that had dominated a lot of her adult life so far. She had secretly hoped she could find the book and see how Tasuki and his bandits fared, how Hotohori was adjusting to life with his wife and young son, and if Chiriko had decided to try for the exams once more...it was aggravating to know her one link to the people she had loved so dearly was now severed.

She let out a suffering sigh, heading for the Historical References section Yui had said she would be in.

It got quieter and quieter as she headed towards the large sign that proclaimed this to be a subsection of the History and Mythology section-this wasn't a popular part of the library normally, and on such a slow day, it was completely deserted. She began her search down the aisles for the familiar shoulder-length blonde locks, frowning as each one turned up empty.

At the end, she stopped. It made no sense-each shelf mirrored one another, so if Yui had been down any of the aisles, she would have seen her, yet each one had been empty. Except for one...there had been a misplaced book, laying page-up...

Miaka's eyes grew wide, and she began a full-out run back to the lone book. Could Yui have been taken back into the book?!

------

Yui woke up in Tai-Itsukun's extravagant palace, rubbing her head where it had gone numb from connecting with the marble flooring. Sitting up, she opened her eyes, taking a moment for her blurred vision to finally focus on a very close shot of a mahogany eye staring her straight on, concern and a bit of amusement hiding behind the murky color, azure bangs obstructing the opposite eye from view. Her brain immediately whirred into full-gear, trying to place a name to this face.

--

"_And what about the monk-guy you told me about? Chichiri?"_

"_Chichiri was the third seishi we found. When I first met him, he was saving me from assassins sent by Kutou." Miaka laughed embarrassedly, blushing. "I'm afraid I wasn't too nice then-I bit him, and hard!!!"_

"_Talk about biting the hand that feeds you, ne?"_

_Miaka stuck out her tongue. "Well, I didn't know he was trying to save me! But...Chichiri was very, very sweet about it. He never held that against me, and saved my life so many times after that. When I first met him-I mean, not in the woods, but when we had a chance to learn his name and talk to him-I have to admit, I thought he was a bit..."_

"_Scary?"_

"_No, strange. You saw him, you should remember-flyaway blue hair, monk's attire, a smiling mask?"_

"_Oh...yeah, I did. I wasn't paying much attention to him, but I remember."_

"_I think on anybody else, his outfits, his mannerisms, even his hair would be just totally out-of-place, but...it didn't on him. All that stuff just made him Chichiri. It didn't take anything away from him, at all. I think...if you had met him, Yui-chan, you would've liked him a lot."_

--

"Are you Chichiri?" she asked hesitantly.

The eye twinkled in a grin. "Hai na no da! And you're Yui, right?"

Yui pushed herself back a bit, letting the rest of the monk's smiling face come into view. "Yeah, I am. Why am I here?"

He shrugged, bringing up a small piece of paper and attaching it firmly to his face, turning the smiling, fox-like eyes back to her. "Tai-Itsukun will know no da. Let's ask her, okay?"

"Hai no-" Yui stopped herself, frowning at the man's laughter. "That's not funny! I won't be able to stop now, no d-AUGH!!!!"

Apparently, Chichiri disagreed, his laughter not stopping for a few minutes. "But it _is_ no da! You're the first person that I've ever heard do that!"

Yui pouted petulantly. "Fine, you can laugh all you want. I'll get you back for this!"

------

"_And so our story begins, an innocent friendship budding between fire and water as the young maiden and her escort search out the great Creator to find a meaning to her arrival."_

Miaka looked to Taka's deathly-pale face after reading the segment. "Why do you look so worried, Taka? Yui-chan found Chichiri first. She's in good hands."

Taka nodded. "That's true. I couldn't be happier that she has Chichiri to protect her right now. But I wonder why she's in the book. The story is _over_. She shouldn't be able to still get in."

Miaka frowned. "Well, it obviously isn't over. The book needs her for something. And we're gonna find out what and make sure she gets home safe."

------

------

You made it, everyone! Good job! :)

I hope this is enjoyable-I always did hate how Yui was only shown when she was needed in FY, and I think she deserves her own story where she can be the star. And Chichiri's 'no da' can be annoying-am I the only one who's done that before?

Anyways...here's the setup of our little story. I hope it makes sense! Please tell me if it doesn't!!!

Until next time!

Otaku

PS-Miaka's favorite TV show? Sailor Moon, of course! ;) (Miaka's seiyuu played Chibi Usa on one of the SM series'. Bad pun on my part.)

PPS- Thanks so much to roku-kyu and methodicmadness, who pointed out areas where my research or any explanation wasn't the best; I've fixed the things they suggested to me. Thank you a bunch!


	2. Chapter 2

**Phoenix Ashes**

A Fushigi Yuugi universe deathfic written by otaku-no-miko

**Pairings**- Do you really think I'd tell you in this chapter if I didn't last chapter?

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; PG for this chapter. Yui needs to have her mouth washed out with soap (but it's only once)!

**Disclaimer**: I own Fushigi Yuugi. While I'm at it, I also own Konami, the rights to the Harry Potter and Wheel of Time series', CLAMP, and we'll add a private island in the mix.

**NOTE:** Sorry guys. I kinda have no excuse for being late. First, I had this so close to finished a week ago, I was just about to post it. Then went down for nearly a week. Plus I have finals coming up and a couple projects to complete. I need to keep my GPA to keep computer access, ne? Anyways, that's my excuse, but excuses account for nothing, so really, I just wasted a minute of your lives.

Anyways! This chapter is where it gets a bit confusing. I'm going to start in modern day (25 year old Yui and her daughter), then switch to the actual story (Yui at 19) for the majority of the chapter, to end with modern day Yui telling Yuri good-night. Okay?

Oh, and reviews!

**roku-kyu:** Thank you so much for the constructive criticism, and for the encouragements. It means a lot!

**methodicmadness:** Yet again, thankyouthankyouthankyou for the wonderful advice and criticism! And, of course, you get a plushie for knowing Tetsuya's last name! I knew it, I'm just…well, not the brightest light bulb out there, let's say. I also will address the main issue you brought up: In the context of this story, EikouDen has happened. Therefore, if I remember my ending correctly, everybody is reincarnated. Not in the adult forms, of course, because that was stupid and would make things way too easy. –nodnod-

**ChibiNuriko310:** Thanks hun! Every author needs her ego stroked, and you did that in full. I have no plans of stopping on this story: for the most part, it's already written in my head, all I have to do is type it.

That's it! See ya at the bottom!

_And it's hard  
To know  
Where I'm  
Supposed to go.  
But there is  
A way  
And tomorrow is a brand-new day…  
_-Sixpence None The Richer, "Tonight"

"Yui? Hey, Yui, you still in there?"

Yui snapped her head back up, looking at the receptionist with a mixture of boredom and utter exhaustion. She had stayed up too late with Yuri, telling her about finding the book and re-entering it until Tetsuya returned from work at nearly 1 in the morning, and the clinic had been full of people nonstop all morning.

"I'm sorry Hannah. I got nearly no sleep, and I had to get up early to get Yuri ready for school."

The American girl smiled warmly, the red and white bands of her braces glinting momentarily in the yellowed lighting of the small room. She had come to the Tokyo National Infirmary and Hospice three months ago looking for a job while she stayed in Japan as a foreign exchange student, and they hadn't regretted the decision to let her on as a desk clerk once in all that time. "I understand totally, Yui-san. But you should hurry-there's a patient waiting for you, and if I remember right, Yuri-chan will be getting out of school in less than half an hour."

"Kyaaaa! You're right! Arigatou, Hannah, I owe you!"

-----

Thirty-two minutes later, Yui was in the parking lot of Shui Preliminary School, watching the sea of tiny blue-and-white striped uniform skirts and navy button-downs with the seal of 'ichii' proudly marked in the center of the shirt to prove the child's schooling at the prestigious beginning school.

Yuri was at the very front of the crowd, tiny hands full to the brim with 'grown-up' papers her kaa-san would have to sign and a large piece of butcher paper that read in a teacher's neat, blocky script, "Konnitchiwa. Atashi wa Kajiwara Yuri." She reached the car after what seemed like an eternity, switching all of the papers to one hand to reach out for the door with the other, tiny face taut with concentration on the task at hand.

Yui couldn't help a smile at the child's fierce concentration, pushing on the door slightly as her daughter pulled it open. Yuri set the papers down reverently behind her (all excepting one, Yui noticed), and sat down. The second the seatbelt was tightly fastened, the silence was over.

"Hi kaa-san! I missed you a lot, but you were right, kindergarten is the most funnest! Nara-sensei is the nicest, prettiest, smartest lady there ever was-'sides you and Miaka-oba-san, I mean-and she even showed me how to write my name! See? And I drew a picture of Chi-chi-chiri, and she said it was the best picture she'd ever seen, and she said she'd even hang it up tomorrow!!! School was the best!"

Yui laughed. "I'm guessing you had fun, then?"

"Hai!" Yuri sent her mother a frown. "But I wanted you to come sooner, 'cause I wanna hear 'bout what Sunkake-babaa told you and Chi-chi-chiri."

"Oh, really?" Yui asked nonchalantly, swinging the small car around Komadori Lane and fixing her daughter with a warm smile. "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait 'til bedtime again. We're gonna go see Miaka-oba-san, and then Daddy decided to take us to dinner tonight."

Yuri wrinkled her nose. "Aw, but I don't like playing with 'Kari, kaa-san. She insists we play Queen, an' she's aaaaaalways the Queen!"

Yui stifled a laugh. Poor Yuri…she remembered Queen, a bit better than she really wanted to. "Why don't you ask Hikari to let you be the Queen?"

Yuri thought a moment, then grinned. "'Kay. I bet she'd make a great Dog!"

-----

Miaka fixed Yui with a sympathetic glance, handing her the warm tea as they both took a seat at the oak table. "She asked for that story _again_?"

Yui nodded, bringing the warm mug up to her lips before making a face. Damnit, she'd burned her tongue _again_. "Yep. Yuri says she likes hearing about 'Chi-chi-chiri' and how we saved the 'whooooooooole' world."

The two women shared a laugh, Miaka trying a sip before meeting the same fate Yui had. "Ooooohh, this tea's hot! Anyways, don't you think she's too old for it, Yui-chan? I mean, I stopped telling Hikari our stories when she was four. She didn't seem to mind."

"That's the difference, Miaka. Yuri _wants_ to know. And until she stops asking for it, it'd be unfair to her for me to just stop altogether. She'll stop asking eventually; I just have to wait."

Miaka's reply was cut short by a small blur of dirty blonde streaking past, shouting "I DON'T WANNA BE THE ROYAL DOG!!!!" to a black-haired girl behind her, who held a pair of floppy 'dog' gloves in one hand as she kept close on the tail of her prey.

"…Yui, why did Yuri just yell that she didn't want to be the 'Royal Dog'?"

"Do you remember that game we used to play, Queen? Well…"

-----

It had started raining by the time Yui was ready to take Yuri home, streetlights casting a dull orange glow over the monotony of white, single-story houses, decorated with simple brick walls and lawn ornaments that had quickly been drenched by the light downpour.

To complete the apparent perfection of her situation, the car refused to start.

Yui must have sat in the driver's seat for a good ten minutes, fuming silently as she repeatedly turned the key, her only answer a grinding of gears and a long whine as the car stopped its attempt to start, doing her best not to scream and rant at the car with Yuri in the vicinity.

Finally, she gave up, slamming the door with a bit more force than was really necessary to stalk around to the other side, opening Yuri's door. "C'mon Yuri, we've gotta walk home."

"Walk?!" Yuri whimpered. "But it's cold an' wet an' Kari says that if I go out in the rain I'll melt like a popstickle!"

"I know its cold, honey, but Daddy can't come and pick us up. He probably is just getting home. And as to melting…Hikari's being silly. You won't melt, I promise."

"Okay kaa-san…but if I melt, you'll be in deep trouble!" Yuri wagged a small, purple-mittened hand at her mother's knees menacingly, and the two started their jog back to Minami Street.

-----

Yui's day rapidly went from bad to worse as they got closer and closer to the blue flat she called home. First, her keys-all of them, even the one to her office!-went missing. She'd left them in the car, of all places. Luckily, Yuri had the key she'd made the little girl hold, so they got in. Second, Tetsuya wasn't home-he had a scribbled note that said he was so sorry, but he had to work late and he'd make sure to make it up to them.

To top it all off, the power went out. And Yuri was deathly afraid of the dark.

Yui was lucky enough to find a tea candle and a matchbook on her first trip across the room, following the flickering shadows and her daughter's muffled sniffling back to her previous position at the door, crashes of light illuminating the room enough to help her back.

The living room wasn't all that big-in fact, if Yui had wanted to be blunt, she would have said it was tiny, but Tetsuya took those sorts of things seriously and probably would have built it larger, just to make her happy. She liked it small-made movement easier, especially when the power went out.

After the candles had been lit and set their flickering glow on the room, Yui returned to her daughter, hugging the child close to her. Yuri was snuffling, forcing back sobs of fear. "K-k-kaa-an? Where are you? It's dark, an' I'm scaaaaared…"

"Maa, maa…it's okay, Yuri-chan. The lights'll come back on soon."

Yuri's only response was to hiccup tearfully and burrow her face further into her mother's comforting embrace. Yui's mind began whirring-what could she tell Yuri to keep her from being so afraid of the storm?

The story. That was right. Concentrate on that.

"Yuri-chan, remember where we were last night in the 'wari story?"

Yuri's hiccups stopped, and she thought a second. "You an' Chi-chi-chiri were gonna go see Sunkake-babaa."

"That's right! Well, Sunkake-babaa didn't exactly build a teeny-tiny palace. Chichiri and I had to walk a looooooong way to get to her throne room."

"What was the throne room like?" Yuri interrupted.

"Oh, it was gorgeous-a huge room with gold-gilding in the ceiling and huge statues of each god with real gems in the eyes, and her throne had rubies and sapphires and amethyst and was all gold. But, before we got there, Chichiri and I talked a bit…"

-----

"So, how has Miaka-san been na no da?"

Yui shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "Miaka's been doing well. She gave birth to her first child a year ago, Hikari."

The mage nodded. "So that would mean both of you are nineteen no da?"

"Yes." Thinking a moment, Yui added, "How old are you, Chichiri-san?"

Chichiri gave a long-suffering sigh. "I'll be thirty-six in a month na no da."

"Really?" Yui favored the older man a warm grin. "You don't look it at all! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were twenty-seven at most."

The monk smirked in return. Two could play that game! "And if I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting no da."

"I could say the same thing to you!" Yui shot back teasingly.

Chichiri pretended to look affronted, mask assuming a look of innocent surprise. "Me? I'm a monk na no da!"

Yui rolled her eyes, pushing open one of the mammoth doors leading to Tai-Itsukun's chambers. "Whatever na no da."

"See? There you go again no da!" Chichiri whispered teasingly as Tai-Itsukun turned to them, features grave.

"There you two are. I was wondering if I would have to send Nyan-Nyan after you."

At mention of her name, the sprite popped up behind the Oracle, running almost immediately over to its new guest.

"Yui-san is here! Yui-san is here! Nyan-Nyan was waiting and waiting and waiting for Yui-san to come!"

The wizened woman sighed. "Nyan, that's enough."

The childish figure pouted. "But-"

"Show Yui-sama Seiryu-seikun's message!"

The little girl looked forlornly over to the newcomer before nodding to the Oracle, red eyes closing momentarily as a breeze played at the corners of her skirt and her braids, the breeze whipping up to a tornado's might in the span of a second. Azure light exploded from the tiny body, the whirlwinds dying instantaneously as the light faded, revealing a man of twenty, once-proud face now lined and grave, aquamarine eyes downcast.

"Seiryu…" Yui breathed, stepping forward to her god almost tentatively.

"My priestess. I am sorry to have to call you back from a home and a life that is so complete. I wish there was a way to fix what wrongs I have done you and all the people you hold dear, and especially wish I didn't have to lay the burden of correcting the mistakes of a foolish god on your shoulders."

Yui and Chichiri shared a Look, the former mouthing 'mistakes?'. Seiryu continued.

"For you see, this truly is all my fault. In my haste to outdo my younger brother, Suzaku, I broke the cardinal rule of this world. Two gods can never be summoned at the same time. It simply can't happen. The threads of magic holding this land together will be stretched too thin, the unfortunate mortals who are blessed with god's powers prematurely thrown out of balance with fate." His gaze grew sadder. "Through my anger, I destroyed a balance of magic beyond even the powers of us four gods. Our world is dying."

The image flickered out of existence for a moment before dying, Nyan-Nyan pitching forward in a dead faint. Tai-Itsukun was quick to catch the little girl, setting her to the ground gently before turning back to Yui.

"My son's words hold true, Yui Hongo. You were never meant to enter the book along with Miaka Yuuki, although you had been selected as a miko. Because of the double summon, our world was literally ripped apart. We as gods attempted to fix it by separating completely from your world, but soon found that it was deteriorating faster. In desperation, we have brought you back to re-summon both gods and hopefully stop the destruction."

"Wait a second. Summon _both_ gods? All my seishi are dead. Five of Miaka's are too. I can't summon two totally different gods with _two_ of fourteen seishi!"

The wizened face wrinkled into a smile, barking out a laugh.

"Who said they were dead? They have all moved onto a new life of their choosing. You must find them."

Chichiri stepped in, mask in one hand as he fixed the Oracle with an incredulous glance. "Sensei, this seems too easy no da. Find twelve children and save the universe? There must be a catch."

Tai-Itsukun nodded approvingly. "You are right, Suzaku no Chichiri. There is a catch, as you put it. The gods are weakening in their efforts to keep this world from being destroyed, as am I. The magic we are dealing with is old and fragile, and breaks easily. In one month's time, it will be worn too thin. At that time, this world will cease to exist."

Yui's eyes widened, watching her feet in dismay. One month to find twelve children? They couldn't do it! It was simply impossible, her mind screamed. Besides, she had botched one summoning ceremony, hadn't she? Who was to say that this time would work?

A hand rested on her shoulder, and Yui looked up to lock gaze with a single mahogany orb.

"You can choose to say no, Yui-san. This is a lot for anybody to have to deal with. We won't hold it against you."

Yui took a shuddering breath before shaking her head. "No. Then I'd spend the rest of my life in what if's and knowing I could have saved this world but didn't want to risk failure. At least if I mess up this way, I know I tried." Steeling herself, she took a step towards Tai-Itsukun, stopping to fall into a low bow.

"I will be Seiryu no Miko, Tai-Itsukun-sama, and save this universe from destruction. What do I need to do?"

-----

Yui trailed off, choking back emotion as Yuri watched her intently, mother and daughter silent for a long moment. It was Yuri who broke the silence.

"So you said yes, kaa-san?"

"Yes to what?" a pleasant voice asked, lifting Yuri from Yui's lap. "C'mon Ri-Ri, let's get you to bed, ne?"

"I'll take care of it, Tetsuya." Yui said gently, taking the child from Tetsuya, accepting his embrace before heading down the hall, stomach sinking. Tetsuya hated the 'wari story with every bone in his body. She didn't want to think of the confrontation that would come of it.

Tucking her daughter in, Yui kissed her cheek. "Oyasumi, hon. Sleep well."

-----

Aaaaaaugh! I hate that ending! But it had to stop there, or else I would have added the entirety of chapter 3 in. I also think that I messed up a bit on characterization-am I taking too many liberties with these guys? Are they too OOC?

That reminds me-I have a few cameo spots I can open-advisors, maids at Houki's palace, and two or three innkeepers. If you're interested, please give me a bare-bones descript (age, build, gender, etc.) and name, plus any personality quirks you'd like added. Be warned, I won't take any Mary-Sues, and really really don't want many teenagers. Try to be realistic in characters is all I ask.

…I'd better try to sleep. It's almost ten-thirty and I have a LOT of studying to do in the morning plus a project to finish before I can go to bed. Hooray for the last full week of school before winter break, and boo for finals! See you all next week!

-otaku

Summoning of a beast god-$600

Restoration of half of Tokyo-$500,000

Bragging rights-priceless

There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard.


	3. Chapter 3

**Phoenix Ashes**

A Fushigi Yuugi universe deathfic written by otaku-no-miko

**Pairings**- Did you know that when the idea for this first entered my mind, I wanted to make it a Chichiri/Yui?

...the key word here is wanted-I decided that the angst and trouble of having themtogether would make thingsnear to impossible. Plus, Chichiri's like, 12 or 13 years her senior in this-kinda grossish, dontcha think? I mean...that'd be like dating a twenty-eight year old for me! Ewww! XO

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; PG for this chapter. A clean chapter, yay!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned, I could put this out as a third OVA. It'd be worlds better than EikouDen, in my opinion. But then again, that's not saying much, 'cause EikouDen sucked majorly.

**NOTE:** Goodness, I've let this sit for a long time! Well, let's just say Life bit me in the ass for abandoning it, and a lot of shiznit hit the fizan, to steal a phrase. Also, I have finals, the most evil of all evils for a high-schooler, and I'm a sophomore, so my parents will start pushing me soon to 'study for the exit exams' (I can tell them where to put their studying…grr). But, this story shall not be left to the dust, I swear by the gods! I said I'd finish it and if I have to drag inspiration kicking and screaming out of my tiny skull I will! Oh, and a word of warning-I'm a single fifteen-year-old. I've never had a boyfriend in my life, and I'm not married. So I am basing Yui and Tetsuya off of my knowledge of my parents' marriage, and not personal experience, and hoping I can get it right. Please let me know if I did an okay job!

I love reviews. They let me know that out of all the potential visitors to my story, some of them were willing to take the time to let me know if they enjoyed it or not.

**Me-Rave-Master:** Well, I'm happy to talk with a TamaMiaka fan, especially since in my area those are EXTREMELY scarce! XP I promise I'll try to include them more. A more 'mature' Miaka is fun to write.

**Cheeto: **Wouldn't dream of stopping, hun! After all, I just reached the fun part. .-

**Roku-kyu**: Yep, I definitely understand life getting hectic. Thanks-I do like describing things like setting, and I'm glad you enjoy my detail to that. I'm so glad they seem in character! I was worried I'd start taking too many liberties with them and then they'd just be OC's. And Tetsuya's resentment of the owari story is actually a bit of foreshadowing towards the future for this story .-.

And thank you for the warning-I had totally forgotten about that rule, even though I knew of it's existence. I'll be sure to edit that. I am very happy you like my characterization, though! Anyways, thank you for the review-I hope you enjoy this chapter.

That's it for now! See ya at the bottom (and sorry for such a long author's note)!

"_It is nothing to die; it is horrible not to live."_

-Jean Valjean, "Les Miserables"

Yui didn't really mind fighting with Tetsuya. If it happened, it happened, and was bound to blow over.

No, Yui didn't mind the fights-it was the aftermath she utterly despised. And the aftermath for the 'wari story' was one of the worst.

Right now, though, Tetsuya wasn't mad-he had just finished tucking Yuri in and telling her good night, and re-entered the living room, taking a place on the couch next to his wife. "So, how was your day?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Pretty hectic, actually-the clinic didn't slow down at all until I got off to pick Yuri up. We went to Miaka's for a couple hours, the car refused to start, and Yuri and I ended up running home in the rain."

"That sounds like fun."

"Well, I guess it could have been worse. Is Yuri asleep?"

Tetsuya nodded, twisting to face her and removing his sunglasses. "So, what did you say yes to?"

Yui groaned inwardly. _Here we go…_

"I was telling Yuri about my third trip into the book, and taking back the role of Seiryu no Miko."

Tetsuya said nothing for a minute or so, purple eyes clearly showing his distaste where his face refused to.

"So you're telling her the 'wari story'. Yui, I love you to death and you know that, but I can't stand that story."

"And why not?" She shot back. "I can't stand you and Keisuke going out and getting drunk once a month! Anyways, the story doesn't hurt her, like drinking will. It's just a bedtime story that she enjoys."

"For all you know, she could be taken! Any one of our children or grandchildren could be taken into that gods-forsaken book that you saved. And there's no guarantee that there will be another Taka to keep our world safe next time!"

"Tetsuya, the book is _sealed_! Nobody's getting in or coming out! There's no way that Yuri, Hikari, or any other child could be returned to the story, because the book is shut. And there's no guarantee there'll be a 'next time'. Yuri asked me to tell her that story, and unless she decides she doesn't want to hear it, I won't stop telling it."

Tetsuya was clenching his fists, the knuckles white in an effort to keep himself from shouting. Finally, he let out a long breath.

"Okay. You can tell her the story. Just know that I'm against it."

Yui glared. She loved Tetsuya, she really did, but why did he think he had to give her permission to do everything, and she had to ask it?

"Thank you for understanding." She managed, blue-green eyes flashing for a moment before she reached out for one of his hands, opening it and giving it a squeeze. "We should probably head to bed. It's getting late, and we both have work tomorrow."

Tetsuya visibly relaxed, moving his free arm around Yui's shoulders. "You're right, koi. Let's go."

-----

Yuri couldn't sleep at all. She watched the ceiling quietly, pretending the shadows that fell there were angels and fairies and ballerinas instead of the monsters she _knew _were hiding in the corners of her room. Kaa-san hadn't asked the monsters to go away tonight, and if she got up and tried to leave, they'd eat her up!

A loud creak made her jump and whimper slightly, fearful eyes turning to the shadows under her large bay window. Oh, she knew it, there had to be a huge, mean spirit under her window, coming to take her and trap her forever in a well or some equally dark and scary place-

"Yuri? Oh, Yuri-chan, aren't you asleep yet, darling?"

Yuri gasped, turning towards the doorway where her mother had a flashlight in one hand. "Kaa-san! You didn't ask the monsters to go away, an' there's one under my window that's gonna eat me up!"

Yui sighed, crossing the room to hug her daughter. "Don't worry, there's no monster under your window." Thinking quickly, Yui pulled back, fixing the child with a warm smile. "Would you like to hear more of the 'wari story?"

Yuri nodded, face breaking into a large smile at the prospect of her favorite story.

"Well, we-Chichiri and I, that is, not Tai-Itsukun-decided to head to the capital city, Eiyo. To get there, we had to ride horses…"

-----

Yui rose a brow at the horse Tai-Itsukun had provided her, looking back to Chichiri incredulously. "…you've gotta be kidding me. This poor animal looks like a good gust of wind could blow it over."

The mage rolled an eye. "Shinju is one of Tai-Itsukun-sensei's better horses no da. She's a good animal. Besides, unless you want to ride Mikata with me, Shinju's the best horse available na no da."

Sighing, the nineteen-year old swung one leg over the horse's back, giving the palamino mare a pat. "Well, since you put it that way, I don't have much of a choice, do I. How long is this trip?"

Chichiri was silent, calculating for a moment before replying. "If we don't run into trouble on the way down, a week."

"'If we don't run into trouble?'"

Chichiri swung onto his own mare with practiced ease, leveling his unmasked gaze at Yui. "Hai. Mountain bandits have taken to the lower half of Taiyoku-zan, so it's a possibility that we may be attacked or run into pilgrims who've been attacked."

Yui made a face. "That's horrible."

"…Seiryu no Miko."

Yui twisted towards the source of the voice, surprised to see the Oracle herself floating level with her face, holding a carved cherry oak globe in her hands, no bigger than Yui's palm.

"Take this with you. Inside is a crystal-I trust you won't lose it or misread it as Miaka did. It will show a character or two when you are near a seishi."

Yui's eyes widened as she accepted the orb, a wide smile enveloping her face. "Wow! This will make things so much easier! Thank you Tai-Itsukun!!!"

The woman smiled lightly. "Please return here when you have gathered the other twelve seishi. May the Gods be with you, young one."

Yui attempted a clumsy half-bow on horseback, and nearly fell off for her troubles. "Thank you, Tai-Itsukun-sama. I'm extremely grateful for your help."

"We should head down, Yui-san. It's only a few hours to dark-I'd like to reach Kokori by nightfall no da."

With those words, the two started their slow descent out of the enchanted glen, leaving Tai-Itsukun among the playful strips of light and color dancing among the tall sycamores and oak that stood sentry over the Oracle's crystalline palace.

-----

Miaka let out a sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding, Taka moving back to her side with a can of soda. She took a pause, smiling sheepishly to her husband as she took the can, draining half of its contents thoughtfully-old habits died hard.

"Well, Yui and Chichiri have started down the mountain, and Yui has the tracking orb Tai-Itsukun gave me to find the other seishi."

Taka smiled warmly. "Well, sounds like they're pretty well off."

Miaka nodded her agreement, trading the half-empty can for the book and turning the page, watching more characters trail their way down like ants. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no…Taka, the bandits Chichiri mentioned earlier found them!"

-----

"If you don't let her go, I will have to hurt all of you no da."

The bandits scoffed. "What'll you do, monk-boy? Pray at us? This girl makes a full set for us. We take her and we can leave this mountain."

Chichiri rolled his good eye heavenwards. Slave-traders, and stupid ones at that. What was with all of them believing that his status as a traveling monk made him defenseless?

Dropping his kesa and staff by a tree, he shrugged, facing them again. "I suppose you're right no da. There's nothing I can do…"

One of the bandits laughed. "Damn rig-"

The speaker fell to his knees, wind knocked free of his lungs from the force of Chichiri's kick. A quick cut to the back of his neck, and the man was unconscious.

"…Well, besides that, of course. Now, I suggest you let her go no da." Chichiri continued pleasantly. The traders exchanged glances, pushing Yui towards Chichiri and turning to run.

Chichiri simply smiled. "Well, now that they're gone, why don't we find those travelers no da?"

Yui gave Chichiri a Look, shaking her head. "Chichiri, I don't think I'm ever going to understand you. Not in a bad way, of course."

-----

It took Chichiri and Yui twenty minutes to find the hostages, locked in a small wooden cart beside a stream that, coincidentally, was only a couple minutes walk from their horses (it took Chichiri an additional five to get Yui to stop laughing at his navigational skills). Once Yui was able to stand again, they unlocked the cart, helping the men and women inside out and showing them a safe route down the mountain.

"Well, is that all of them?"

Yui was too distracted to answer, pulling the orb out of her jacket pocket. "It's glowing now, and really warm…and look, there's a character! Let's see…'hidden'…'spring'?"

The mage looked over her shoulder. "No, that's sho. Well."

"So the clue is hidden well? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That must be me!" a voice piped up from behind them. Chichiri and Yui turned as one to face a boy who looked no older than seven, large green eyes staring up at them through a mess of sandy blonde locks. "Do you remember me, Chichiri-san?"

-----

Hiiiiiiiii again! Welp, I'm outta school-free for two weeks, yay! Not super fond of this chapter, but I do like the end. Even though it's probably really obvious, can anyone guess who the kid is?

Anywho, yeah. I'm hyper. And Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced is calling my name. My main character is named Houjun. Honestly, he's got blonde hair, a bang that does _the same thing_ as Chichiri's going backwards, no dad, and is an awesome fighter (I kept him as a soldier, even though I could have him as a mage). What more could I ask for?

Ehhehheh…I think I'm going even crazier than I already was…anyways, if you guys can make it through this random rabble, I award you. Also, way this chapter went was:

Present Yui

Present Yui

Past Yui

Past Miaka/Taka

Past Yui

Hope that makes sense! Thanks for reading! Now it's time for me to kick some FF butt…

-otaku


	4. Chapter 4

**Phoenix Ashes**

A Fushigi Yuugi universe deathfic written by otaku-no-miko

**Pairings**- I think this is the first story I've ever written with no set pairings implied. Well, once the kids come along, there will be. Kekekekekekeeee…

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; PG for this chapter. A clean chapter, yay!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned this, I wouldn't be sitting in the smallest room of a house in the winter with my right hand so numb I can barely type. Oh no. I'd be somewhere near the Equator, with a laptop, out on the beach typing and getting a tan in a cute bikini.

**NOTE:** I retyped this entire chapter. It has a better flow now.

Reviews are at the bottom. Enjoy, my friends!

_You can't always get what you want  
__You can't always get what you want  
__But if you try sometimes  
__You just might find  
__You get what you need  
_(The Rolling Stones, "Can't Always Get What You Want")

Tetsuya woke up to the impossibly perky voice of a young woman wishing Tokyo a 'wonderfully great morning' and informing him it was a quarter to six. Groaning, he hit the small alarm clock with his fist, the machine issuing a squeak of protest before shutting off meekly. It was a wonder to him that Yui could stand waking up every morning to that incessantly annoying chatter-he was always gone long before Yui would wake up, thus never having to listen to the annoying drone of early-morning radio.

Forcing himself to leave the warm sanctity of his bed, he reached across to shake Yui awake only to find emptiness where her shoulder would normally be. Looking over, he found her side of the bed empty, the covers cold as if she hadn't been there for a while. The twenty-nine year old frowned, standing and leaving the room as quickly as he could while remaining semi-calm.

He didn't have search hard to find Yui-she was in Yuri's room, propped up against the headboard with Yuri leaning heavily against her, both sound asleep still. Smiling, he shut the door as quietly as possible, now headed in search of a phone. He would let them sleep-the girls could afford to miss a day of work and school, and they both deserved it.

-----

"Kaa-saaaaaan…"

"'M tired, nemenoooooone…"

"Kaa-saaaaan!"

Yui finally cracked an eye open, looking to her bouncing daughter blearily. "What time's it?"

"'Kaa-san, wake up! It's morning time, and now you can tell me more of the 'wari story 'cause Daddy said we could both stay home! C'mon kaa-san, wake uuuuuup!"

Yui groaned again before the words connected, eyes snapping open. "What the _he-_ er, heck-is he thinking! You can't miss school! It's only the second day!"

Yuri watched her mother with something akin to amusement as the woman rushed around the room, searching for her daughter's uniform (conveniently forgetting it was in the wash). Finally, Yui stopped searching, falling back on her hands and knees and blowing an errant strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Okay, okay, he wins. No school today. I'll go make us some breakfast and after that I'll tell you more of the 'wari story, okay?"

Yuri frowned - she wanted to hear the 'wari story _now _- but obeyed her mother, following Yui to the kitchen to help with the sweet rice her mother was so good at making.

-----

"Itadakimasu!"

Yui hid a smile behind one hand as she watched her daughter eat the rice as fast as was possible while remaining polite. Yuri was a handful at times, but it was worth it sometimes to be able to just relax and watch the five-year old.

The key word here is _sometimes_.

Yuri finally managed to get the bowl completely clean, looking up to Yui with a broad grin. "Okay, _now_ can I hear more of the 'wari story?"

"Hai. Let's go in the living room, okay?"

Yuri nodded, running ahead of Yui to pull open the shades on two large windows, flooding the otherwise small room with light before flopping down onto the couch, watching her kaa-san expectantly. Yui sat down a moment later, shaking her head in silent mirth. "Okay Yuri-chan, where were we before we fell asleep?"

Yuri thought a second. "You an' Chi-chi-chiri had just found the boy on Sunkake-babaa's mountain."

"Ah! Now I remember! Thanks Yuri-chan. Okay…well, Chichiri and I had just freed all the people from the cart when the crystal-thing Tai-Itsukun gave us lit up…"

-----

Yui watched the young boy before her for a minute, face blank.

"Chichiri-san…who is this?"

The mage took a breath, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in before replying. "This is Chiriko, another Suzaku seishi no da. Chiriko, this is Yui-san, the Seiryu no Miko."

The small boy seemed taken back for a moment before bowing. "It's wonderful to meet you, Yui-san! Miaka-san always spoke highly of you."

Yui felt a pang of regret at his words-it seemed amazing, even now, to think that Miaka still believed so strongly in their friendship at a time when Yui had been dead-set on destroying it. "Well…t-thanks, I guess. Just out of curiosity, Chiriko-chan, what was your power?"

The child grinned, lifting the hem of his robe to reveal a red character, glowing starkly against the otherwise pale skin. "I had the strength of intelligence."

That caught the nineteen-year old's interest. "Really! That's so cool! You guys must have all had such cool powers. I can't wait to find out more about all of you-"

"Gakurei, what are you doing!" a young woman rushed in from behind Yui, enveloping Chiriko in an embrace and glaring at both Chichiri and Yui. "What were you doing to my son? I'll have you know, my husband is a government official…"

"Kaa-saaaaaan!" Chiriko pushed free of her embrace, face beet-red. "This is Chichiri-san and Yui-san. They weren't hurting me at all!"

"Ma'am, it seems your son is a reincarnation of the seishi Chiriko. We-that is, my companion and I-are searching to gather the Suzaku seishi." Chichiri explained.

The woman's face grew stony. "Oh no you don't. I see right through your ploy! Last time somebody said that, he was only a baby, and I nearly lost him! I won't be fooled a second time!"

"But ma'am, we aren't fooling you! I really am a miko, and I'm searching to gather all the seishi to save this world, not hurt it!"

"Then bring me proof!" the woman snapped. "Once you've 'gathered the other seishi', bring them back to my home. I _trust _you recognize the name Chou, direction of civil engineering and agriculture?"

"A-anou…yeah…"

She nodded briskly. "Good. Then you know where to find us. C'mon Gakurei, 'tou-san will be worried."

-----

Yui sighed heavily as she re-mounted Shinju. "Well, that was a total disaster. Are all the seishi going to be this tough to gather?"

Chichiri sighed as well. "I hope not no da. That time limit won't extend at all, and if we don't have all of fourteen seishi…"

"Then this world's ruined." Yui made a face. "Well, it _is_ almost dark-do you think we could reach the town you mentioned earlier before night sets in?"

"Hai! Follow me, I know a shortcut down the mountain na no da."

Yui favored Chichiri with a wry look. "Is this shortcut used by other humans? I would like to reach an inn before I turn twenty."

"Ha very ha-ha. Yes, it is a legitimate shortcut no da."

"Alright, if you say so…"

"So na no da?"

"…smart-ass."

-----

Yui and Chichiri raced one another down the mountain path all the way to the front of the inn, arguing amiably over who beat who as they let a stable boy take their horse.

"I'm telling you, 'Chiri, I won!"

"Yui-san, denial never does anybody any good no da-excuse me ma'am, are you the innkeeper?"

Yui stuck her tongue out at the mage, but turned respectfully to face the woman heading towards them. She looked to be in her mid-forties, short and rotund with a cheery smile and sparkling brown eyes. An apron was tied over her kimono, lending to the belief that she worked hard for every ryo that came in.

"G'evening! Welcome to our Inn! Would you two like a room for the night?"

"Hai no da. Do you have any two-bed rooms open?"

The woman looked apologetic. "Dreadful sorry sir, but we've only got one-beds left. Is that all right?"

Chichiri and Yui shared a glance, but still nodded. She beamed. "Wonderful! Let me show you upstairs. It's a hundred ryo a night, but that covers room an' board as well as any food you should want."

------

"Honestly, Chichiri, you don't have to do this."

"It would be rude of me to impose on you no da."

"Well, I don't care! It makes me uncomfortable to think about you sleeping on the floor!"

"Are you really so desperate to sleep next to me na no da?"

Yui blushed crimson. "Noo…but I don't want you sore in the morning."

"I've slept on the ground before, you know. It's not all that different."

"Fine! I give up! You win, happy?"

"Hai na no da. I'm going to get some rest, and I'd suggest you do the same-we're going to have to get up early to reach the capital by sunset no da."

This earned a groan from Yui. "I'm still sore from today's riding!"

Chichiri sat up, sending her a sympathetic look. "Gomen no da. You'll be feeling better after riding a bit more-your body just isn't as used to such strenuous riding yet."

His response was a yawn. "Oyasumi nasai, Chichiri."

"Oyasumi nasai, Yui."

-----

An incessant 'bring' of a phone the next room over halted Yui's story, the woman looking around confusedly before realizing it was the phone and running to catch it before the machine did.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Yui!" Tetsuya grinned into the receiver, leaning forward on his desk. "Did you finally wake up?"

The woman replied with a short laugh. "Yes. You do realize there'll be consequences for making both of us miss our respective works, right?"

"I'm sure I'll survive. Hey, why don't you and Ri-Ri come down to the Casa de Pollo for lunch with me?"

"You really mean it!" Yui brightened considerably. "You know how much I love Mexican food! When should we meet you?"

"How does 11:45ish sound?"

Yui checked her watch – 10:15. Where had the time gone! "Wow, guess we needed the sleep. Yeah, we'll meet you there."

Tetsuya's voice was near to ecstatic. "I can't wait, koi. Love you."

"Love you more." Yui replied teasingly, waiting for his laugh and resounding 'click' of the phone hanging up before heading back to where Yuri was impatiently bouncing on the couch cushion. "Kaa-san, that took you foreverrrrr!" The child complained. Yui smiled at her daughter.

"Impatient one. That was Daddy. He wants to take us out to lunch, so we'll have to finish up tonight, okay?"

Yuri pouted, but got up regardless. "Okay…where are we going?"

"Casa de Pollo." Yui answered. "C'mon, I'll help you get dressed."

"Kaa-san's dead poyo? What's that?"

-----

Yui really needs to teach Yuri-chan Spanish, doesn't she? ;P Casa de Pollo, for those of you who didn't know, translates to House of Chicken.

…whaa-aaaat? It's not like I could really use La Hacienda or something! That'd be cheating!

Well, I had to revise it. In all honesty, I _hate_ this chapter. With a capital H. But, I had to have a scene from our world to make it fit – that's the order I've been using and if I break it it has to be a full chapter of either world, not half. Anyways! New reviews (or new-ish reviews):

**LiL-ChErRy-SeRrI: **You're so sweet! I'm glad you want to read more (although after waiting this long, you probably don't want to ;P ), and I'm happy I could help with your story!

**galadriel evenstar: **Yep! Hey, don't feel bad about missing this one, there's still eleven more! ;D

**methodic madness: **Hooo boy this'll be a looong response ;P

Okay, Yuri's characterization – thanks! I was really worried about that after re-reading and realizing I might be inserting a biiiit too much of my own fifteen-year-old personality into a five-year-old Japanese child.

Ask for a ride home? (gasp!) What a scandalous idea! It actually makes SENSE! (okay, you caught me, I have no clue why she didn't ask Miaka.)

As for Chichiri...I've always thought of as having that as his weakness – not necessarily an inability to direct, but an inability to do so without magical aid. He's been cultivating and using and perfecting his magic for fifteen years, so he would have some troubles doing things as an unaided human. At least, that's my story.

And he knew because of what the bandit said. 'With her, we have a **full set**'. Only one person making a full set? ;P No, I should've clarified that a bit more.

Also, I know Chiri's symbol is sho. I wanted to make the clues kinda hard to decipher (like Tasuki's was burning mountain, and Chichiri's was face of the monk). Chiriko's symbol is cho, but his clue isn't cause that'd be waaaay too easy, and I'm a mean authoress ;P.

**Cheeto: **Auuugh! I didn't actually mean it! It was an idea I threw around because I thought the relationship might be interesting (I think I've seen one story with it). And I will (although I'll try to avoid the four-month delays next time)!

Okay, that's it. I think you guys deserve an explanation, in part, as to why I was gone for four months. I was stuck for about half of it, life caught up for a while, and I nearly destroyed this story. Let me explain.

I am fairly good friends with NightMareChan, and when I decided I would need a beta she was the first I thought of. And she brought home a very, very good point: fourteen plus characters are damned hard to write all at once and give a good personality. And I was worried I couldn't do it. But, hey, if I don't try I'll never learn, and I have great reviewers who will teach me, right?

Don't flame NightMare, though. I had been thinking it myself and she just brought it to the forefront (and I'm indebted to her for helping me out).

Til next chapter!  
otaku


	5. Chapter 5

**Phoenix Ashes**

By otaku-no-miko

**Pairings**- None yet, haha!

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; PG for this chapter. Pretty clean, nothing too bad.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned this, EikouDen'd be a thing of the past, let me tell you…

**NOTE:** Thanks and cookie dough to my wonderful beta, NightMare, for having this chapter out so quickly! Yet again I apologize for taking forever and a day to type – school has started and I often don't get home until 6 or 7, and after you add in homework and projects, I have very little computer time.

I'll be e-mailing replies to reviews, and doing everything I can to reply to them and get you guys the love you deserve. Thank you so much, by the way – I love you guys!

**Chapter 5**

**A Brief Interlude**

The book lay forgotten in the Sukunami apartment for some days after the discovery of Yui's disappearance and subsequent reappearance in the Universe of the Four Gods. Miaka often was too busy to spare a glance at the plain red leather, doing her best to keep house, attend school, and work in what little spare time she had. Taka worked during the day and took night classes, getting home long after the sun had set on some nights, and soon the days turned into weeks. Tetsuya, who had originally been frantic with worry and anger, had cooled somewhat, saying that they had no choice but to wait it out. He rarely visited.

It was pure chance that the book was read once more, as it often is when concerning items of its nature. Miaka had been working at a daycare near the office building where Taka worked, preparing a snack for the kindergartners in her care. She was finding that busy work helped keep her mind from wandering to her best friend, missing for three weeks now. They hadn't filed Yui as missing – who would believe that the intelligent college student was actually inside of an ancient Chinese text, fighting to defend four long-obscure gods?

A slight tugging on her skirts brought her attention to the black-haired girl below her, the little face shining with curiosity as she held up a plain, worn red novel, apparently proud of her find.

"Miaka-san? Did you bring a story for us?" The little girl questioned, holding up the book. The russet-haired woman took it from her hands, masking her surprise with difficulty. She'd always been a little cautious around the text version of the Universe of the Four Gods, remembering the bittersweet memories connected to the story. Mentally shaking herself from her reverie, she attempted to change the subject, smiling to the child.

"Did you and the others find it?"

The child in question nodded, glowing with pride at her discovery. "Hai! What's it about, Miaka-san? Will you read some to us?"

Miaka paused for a moment, surveying her small crowd. It couldn't hurt to tell them a 'fairy tale', right?

"Of course I will."

-----

"Thank you for your hospitality no da."

The innkeeper shook her head, waving off the thanks with a wide, friendly grin. "It was nothing. Where are you headed? If you'd like, my son can take you to the capital."

Chichiri fell silent for a moment in thought, turning to look to Yui. The blonde shrugged, silently claiming neutrality on the subject, and Chichiri rolled his good eye, mocking annoyance at having to make the decision for both of them.

"That would be a lot of help no da; we'll be going in that direction. Where is he na no da?"

"Chosei _should_ be at the river fishing." The stressed 'should' in the woman's kind voice implied that she doubted he was there and wasn't going to delve much deeper into an obviously sore subject. "I'm sorry to make you work, but I can't spare anybody right now, so if you could find him…?"

The two friends exchanged glances. It would seem nearly impossible to find a boy among the fields and forests surrounding the town. Yui spoke up, choosing her words carefully in remembrance of the woman's tense voice not moments before. "Do you have any idea where he would be?"

She thought a moment, absentmindedly playing with a chain around her neck. "Hm. Well, I know Shouka-chan is at home today working, so he wouldn't be there…and he visits his father's grave most every day around this time…"

"We'll check there."

-----

Yui checked the inn to be sure that the innkeeper was truly out of the doorway before speaking. "I think Miaka told me about a Shouka when she was here. Is it possible…?"

Chichiri thought a moment about the kind, gentle woman with laughing eyes Mitsukake had described to him, then shook his head. "No na no da. That Shouka died many years ago, and it's a pretty common name as well. It's possible but not very likely no da."

Yui nodded, scanning the forest for signs of the trail the innkeeper had spoke of. "Why do I get the feeling we're about to find another seishi?"

Chichiri allowed himself a careful smirk, looking remarkably like a teenager instead of the reserved man he'd become. "Because we can't go five feet without something happening to us. I blame you."

"Oh, really?" Yui joined in to his playful banter, tone mock-hurt. "I've heard the stories – you're even more accident-prone than I am!"

The argument continued in this manner until they finally entered the wood.

-----

The boy they saw kneeling by the riverbed didn't look much older than twelve, messy chocolate-brown hair obscuring his eyes from view. The muddy silt deposits were slowly dying the small purple and blue buds he had brought a deep brownish-black, but he didn't seem to pay them mind, watching the water.

Yui and Chichiri held their breath, hoping not to disturb him, but it seemed he had already realized they were there, standing to face the pair. "Okaa-san, I don't know…"

There was a long pause in which he seemed to figure out that no, these two people most definitely weren't his mother, and they definitely weren't there to scold him for venturing to the grave.

"Ah…konnichiwa no da?" Chichiri ventured, waving. "I'm Chichiri, and this is Yui-san."

"Hi. You're Chosei, right?" Yui asked. The twelve year old nodded, face still wooden, and Yui's voice faltered. "Ah…do you mind if we join you? We've got a bit of a story to tell."

"What is it, Seiryuu no Miko?" He asked calmly. Yui was taken back by the casual reminder of her horrid role in this world three years ago. How did he remember her? Miaka had told her that the affair with Ren and Tenkou two years ago had been about Taka's memories, that he had needed seven 'memory balls' to get back his life as Tamahome. If that was true, then how did the seishi here remember their past lives?

"You have all of your memories?"

Chosei nodded, wincing. "Yeah, unfortunately. Here's the thing: I'd love to help you, but you see my track record with priestesses isn't so good." He trailed off, his gaze turning distant and sad. "I don't want to lose any of my loved ones again."

Yui nodded, watching the stream bubble and dance, carrying away the small handful of flowers Chosei had collected. He presented a good point – Mitsukake had lost his entire family his first life, and nearly lost the woman he loved the second time through. She felt torn suddenly – torn between taking the boy away from his family and his home, and leaving him behind. It seemed there would be no way to keep both sides happy.

"Chosei, you don't have to help us. But we do need to get to the capitol, and it'd be great to have a guide. Would you be willing to come with us and think it over?"

"It's your decision. We don't want to force you na no da." Chichiri said, watching the other seishi with a look not unlike that of a father to his son.

_Like last time, so many years ago_ he added mentally. He still could remember the long nights in Hokkan with the healer, watching him pull away from their small group and retreat upon himself. Even though after Nuriko's death, he had grown closer to the other seishi, the images of those cold nights still haunted Chichiri, and he was determined not to allow them to be repeated.

The boy seemed to sense their distress, quieting. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "I…I want to help. But I don't want to lose her again. A-and I don't know what I'd do if anything happened…"

The threesome lapsed into silence, listening to the dancing water and the constant, gentle hum of forest life around them. Chosei's expression was unreadable, and Yui didn't know whether this was a good thing – good, because it meant that he was considering coming with them, or because he wanted to stay. They had to summon the gods at any cost, yet it pained her to think that that included trampling over the life of a boy who had just really started to live.

Her companion seemed to have reached the same conclusion. He twisted the mask in his hands, a sure sign of distress on his part, before speaking, voice low to hide the pain in his voice. "You really don't have to come, Mitsukake-san na no da…"

"…no, it's okay. I'll come with you. I'm a seishi, like it or not, and…well, I know Shouka wouldn't want me to run anymore. What's the plan?"

-----

The sun was just starting to set when the small group was ready to leave. The entire village had shown its face by now, gossip spreading fast about a Suzaku warrior and a strange young woman choosing to take one of their own into the outside world.

In front of the crowd stood a single girl, tall and willowy with smiling grey eyes. This was Shouka, and Chosei lingered longest at her side. The two embraced quietly, ignoring their suddenly silent audience as they held fast to their last moment together for many months. It was Shouka who finally broke contact, studying his face for a moment before stepping back, nodding her head in assent.

"Good luck."

He nodded, sighing heavily as the full weight of those two words finally bore down. "I…good-bye."

Chichiri was frowning visibly as he studied Chosei's mount, a flighty young mare. She _was_ beautiful, but he'd never seen a horse so jumpy, afraid of its own shadow, and he was worried. Danger never seemed to stray far from him or any companions he had, and a reliable mount was the most important asset of any mission. There was nothing they could do for now, though – he'd have to exchange the horse for one of Tasuki's and hope they didn't run into trouble on the way.

Yui caught his eye, frowning and mouthing "what's up?", and he shook his head, sending her a Look over Shinju's back in response. Yui nodded, misunderstanding his Look as an urging to comfort their new friend, heading to the teenager's side. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder, the silent gesture both a thank you and an apology. "You ready?"

"…yeah."

-----

Miaka stopped for a moment, standing to reach for a water bottle and gulping some down greedily. The reading had taken quite a bit out of her – she was not only doing voices for each of her friends but also acting out a few of the smaller scenes. The children loved it, clapping and shrieking with glee every time she called a cheery "na no da" and falling silent and serious when she had said goodbye to Shouka and done the forest scene.

The girl who had handed her the book looked a little bit upset at Miaka's sudden pause, fidgeting and shifting as if possessed by restless eagerness. "Miaka-san, what happened next?"

Miaka swallowed one last gulp of the crisp water, scanning down the page with one finger to find the spot where she had left off. "…well…ah, there it is! So after they left the village, Chichiri, Mitsukake, and Yui had to travel through a really big forest to get to the hideout of Chichiri's friend, Tasuki…"

-----

It had been three days since they had left Souun, and Yui had hoped that the long and monotonous ride would open up her companions a bit. But insofar it hadn't; they seemed perfectly happy to remain to themselves, and it worried her. Her own seishi had pretty much held the same attitude towards her – a silent deference and almost fear of her. It was driving her absolutely insane, and she finally spoke, the words bursting free like a dam breaking.

"Why are we all so quiet?"

Her two companions reined in their horses, sending her startled glances. Realizing that they expected her to continue, Yui cleared her throat nervously, plowing ahead. At least with Chichiri and Chosei she didn't have to fear the silk-smooth comfort of deceit that had been the trademark of her encounters with Nakago, the only seishi who had taken interest in her.

"I-I mean, it's been three days and the most we've said to one another is hello. If we're going to be traveling together for a while, shouldn't we, I don't know, get to know one another?"

Chichiri spoke up, carefully choosing his words. Although he knew Yui and Miaka were two completely different young women, he still remembered times when Miaka's fuse had been set off, and definitely wanted to avoid the struggles of chasing after another annoyed girl.

"I know for myself that it isn't because I don't wish to talk to you, Yui-san no da. It's simply because these woods enter into Mt. Reikaku territory, and I remember Tasuki telling me about some turf troubles with the Mt. Kaou bandits. I didn't want to cause trouble."

Yui nodded, berating herself for her stupidity. Of course they would have a good reason for staying quiet – not everything was about her! Still, she glanced in Chosei's direction, the boy looking surprised and somewhat scared.

"Do you want me to speak, Yui-sama?"

Yui winced. That was another memory connected to this world she'd really rather forget about. "Please, don't call me that. I'm Yui-san if I'm going to be anything other than Yui. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I was hoping to get to know you." She smiled, hoping to placate the younger seishi. "I was about to start working at a hospital when I left my world."

That caught his interest immediately. "What's a haustpital?"

Yui laughed. "Hos-pi-tal. It's like…like a really big clinic, with lots and lots of doctors and people who want to be doctors. They fix all sorts of things – there are even doctors to help heal minds and hearts."

Chosei frowned, trying to piece together this new bit of information. "But Yui-sam…Yui-san, why do you work in such a big place?"

"Because I want to be a doctor." She said simply. "I want to try and heal people's minds."

"Healing the mind? That's impossible!"

"Even if it is, I want to try." Yui admitted with a shy smile, and Chosei couldn't fault her, he was finding – he couldn't blame Yui for wanting to chase after dreams and hopes that probably could never come true, for trying to create miracles. After all, weren't he and every other seishi living proof that miracles could happen?

His train of understanding was cut dramatically short when Chichiri stopped suddenly, his mount snorting in annoyance. The mage turned, his profile visible, and shook his head, a violent motion for both of them to be silent.

"I know somebody's there no da. Come out now."

Yui and Chosei shared glances, unconsciously moving their horses closer to Chichiri and one another, legs bumping. A ripple of laughter came from the treetops – the trees were laughing, how could that be? – and a voice called back to Chichiri, mocking and cruel.

"I think you're really in no position to make demands, little monk. Especially since my archers are aiming directly for your hearts as we speak, _no da_."

Yui watched the mage tense. When he spoke, it was mock-pleasantry.

"Fine na no da. What is it you want from my companions and I? We're simply lost travelers."

The voice left the treetop, its owner jumping down to stand in front of his men with ease. "Because I know you're more than just a simple traveler. You're Suzaku seishi Chichiri, and with you on my side, I can wipe out that child Genrou and his band of reject bandits!"

Chichiri moved closer to his friends even as the bandits came ever nearer, eye narrowed even as his smiling mask grinned back to the bandit. "Tasuki-kun told me about you…you're not going to touch any of us. I'll ask once more – let us pass."

The bandits approaching them paused, turning to their leader for guidance, and he gestured forward impatiently. "What are you doing! Capture them!"

The bandits pushed towards them once more, and Chosei's mount, already dancing in anxiety, pulled free of the young boy's grip, shying violently from the shining weapons and bolting. Chosei yelped and landed hard on his back, unmoving and still.

Chichiri panicked when he saw Chosei's mount rear, already imagining the worst for his younger friend. How could he have not thought of bringing down another horse with them from Taikyoku! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Patting his own horse quickly as a silent reassurance, he jumped from its back, reaching for his staff. He held it warily, the wooden shakujou suddenly a deadly weapon in his skilled hands, and the men paused, afraid of him now.

"Yui-san…get Chosei." He ordered. The woman nodded, sliding fluidly from Shinju's back to kneel beside Chosei. His pulse was steady and even, and the only obvious injury she could see was his wrist, already a mottled red and swollen. Carefully, she lifted him, cursing under her breath at the unexpected weight. "I have him, Chichiri-sama." She replied, suddenly feeling quite meek in the face of Chichiri's sudden, palpable power. It seemed the bandit leader had reacted in much the same way, fidgeting nervously before spinning to run as his men already had.

Another movement, lightning fast, caught Yui's eye, a flash of red and gold that she almost thought she had imagined until a voice connected itself to the blur of movement.

"Not so fast, Keiron. Didn't I tell ya not t'come on Mt. Reikaku grounds anymore?"

Keiron paled at the voice, backpedaling and falling flat, giving Yui her first good look at Tasuki of the Suzaku Seven.

He didn't seem to be much older than her, although a quick estimate put his age around thirty now. He had long auburn hair that had remained (for the most part) the brilliant fire-red Miaka had described it as, and his face had lengthened, but she could still recognize his golden eyes and the tessen, glowing bright in the sunlight.

Tasuki flicked his eyes over the small group, scowling, annoyance thickening his accent. "You fuckin' scumbag. You really thought you could get away with attacking one of the Suzaku shichi-seishi and not get your ass handed to you, didn't you, you bastard? As there's a lady present, I won't kick your cowardly ass to hell and back, but I don't want to see your ugly face anywhere _near_ this mountain again. Am I clear?"

Keiron squeaked, nodding a vigorous yes, and Tasuki smirked as the man scrambled to his feet, running as fast as his legs could carry him. As soon as the man was out of earshot, he turned back to his brother warrior, grin fading when he caught sight of Chosei. What the hell had happened, anyways?

"Okay, Chiri, I saved your neck, now you gotta tell me what in the hell just happened. Is the kid okay?"

Chichiri nodded hesitantly, glancing back to watch Yui look through Shinju's saddle packs for the first-aid kit they'd packed. Thank Suzaku for that, at the very least. "I hope so na no da. His horse threw him and he landed hard, but Yui-san can take care of him."

Tasuki's brows furrowed. Priestess of Seiryuu, Yui? The Yui that had hurt his Miaka so much in the past? "Are we talkin' about Seiryuu no miko Yui, or just some random chick?"

"Hongo Yui-sama was Seiryuu no miko, na no da, but she's here to help us." Chichiri replied steadily, remembering his younger friend's feelings towards anybody connected to Nakago or Seiryuu-seikun. "I would trust no other in caring for Chosei, no da."

Tasuki, chastised, looked back to the boy. There was something _really_ familiar about him that the fire seishi simply could not place. "Now, who is Chosei, anyways?"

"He's Mitsukake." Yui called from the ground, looking up. "I've wrapped his wrist, and he probably will have a goose egg the size of Hokkan on the back of his head, but he should be okay." _I think_ she added silently, doubting her abilities to help the younger boy she'd found herself quite fond of.

Tasuki perked up immediately – Mitsukake was here! Everything would be able to go back to semi-normal now that the gentle healer had returned, it _had _to. "Mits…can you carry him? Let's get goin' – I'll take you up to the hideout, we'll have our guys check him out."

-----

Miaka paused, drained from reading such an emotionally-packed passage. The children's parents had started to arrive, but they too had been taken in by Miaka's soothing reading voice, gasping when Chosei had fallen and laughing and cheering when Tasuki arrived and Miaka began to imitate his gruff, playful growl.

A minute passed, two, then three, before her audience realized she was done for the night. One by one, the children started to leave, excited voices jumping and melding into one another as the children attempted to re-cap the fantastic tale Miaka-san had woven.

Miaka sighed in relief as the last one left, sneaking a glance at her watch. 7:15 – normally she never stayed so late; Taka would be worried. Looking fondly at the worn cover, she pocketed it, shouldering her backpack and heading for the door. She would certainly have a story for him tonight…

-----

Oct. 24, 2005:

Well. That was only…what, three months? Okay, okay, I know that I can't keep making big breaks like that. My summer was packed, my life is busy (especially because of that surgery) and junior year is when things start getting hectic for high school kids (as I'm sure some of you older readers remember). But I really am trying to get better about time management and getting around to writing this – I promise!

Also, I waited to post this (the end note was written on the 24th) because I turn 16 on the 30th, which is the day I posted this. I wanted to give myself a birthday present of sorts of this chapter being completely and utterly done.

I'm e-mailing reviewers responses, which is a little nice – I can be really thorough in my response and not fear taking up a lot of writing room for the story. But I will give a shout-out – that's not against the rules right?

So, first off, thanks to NightMare, who is an awesome beta and friend. She really went above and beyond in being as harsh as she could on my writing and I love that. Because of her this chapter is about a thousand times better, so be sure to check out her stuff and give her a huge thank you. Of course, I also have really really cool people who read this story – Chichiri's Wanderer, IcklexSami, paws-bells, methodic madness, roku kyu, Cheeto, Me-Rave Master, and ChibiNuriko310. You guys are all so incredibly nice, supportive, and really helpful – I only hope my writing can continue to please!

I think that's pretty much it. To the three that reviewed this chapter, I'll be sending you guys responses, and to everybody else, feel free to review and bug the heck outta me until chapter 6 comes – I'll be sure to work on it that way ;P

PS: I have a forum for this fic now, so if you have questions that you forgot in a review or whatnot (hey, it happens!), feel free to drop by http/ ft/ 443922/ 13053/ 1/ . I can't wait to talk to people there!

Til next time!

otaku


	6. Chapter 6

**Phoenix Ashes**

By otaku-no-miko

**Pairings**- Patience my friends, all will be revealed soon enough.

**Rating**- PG-13, overall; PG-13 for this chapter. We've entered bandit territory, m'friends!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Fushigi Yuugi, I wouldn't currently be worried about college funds.

**NOTE:** Oh my goodness, has Kristen actually updated? Apocalypse must be on its way! All joking aside, here's chapter 6. Some character development, a little bit of action, and the roller coaster slo-o-owly heads upwards!

NightMare is a goddess and a great beta, and of course it is because of her ability to deal with my endless ramblings that this chapter is as good as it is.

**Chapter 6**

Miaka slipped in to their apartment at three minutes until eight, closing the door with a soft 'click' and putting on her house slippers. No sign of Taka yet; that was good. Miaka loved her husband dearly, but he could be so overbearing at times, especially where the book was concerned. She understood it somewhat, but why couldn't he see that this book was actually therapeutic for her? It helped soothe her mind to read about her friends again.

Shaking away the thoughts, she curled up on the couch, book in hand. At a minute to eight, she was opening the book…

And at the stroke of nine, Taka burst through the door. Not even bothering to remove his shoes, he strode to his wife, tossing questions at the petite woman in rapid-fire succession.

"Where have you been?! You should have been home hours ago, why didn't you call? I was about ready to call the police! Did you go out somewhere without telling me? And why do you have that book?!"

Meeting the man's flashing violet eyes calmly, she answered each of his questions in turn, not moving from the couch.

"I was still at work, I ended up staying late. I don't turn on my phone when I'm around the kids; some of them tend to nap at odd intervals. I came straight home, and the book was in my bag."

He held her gaze for another moment before looking down, visibly relaxing. "I'm sorry. I just worry about you so much and especially with Yui having been gone so long and you having the book, I thought…"

Miaka rolled her eyes. "You worry too much, love. I'm nineteen; I can take care of myself." She stopped for a beat, thinking. "Well, better than I could in the book, anyways. Besides, there's no egotistical blonde bent on world destruction to try and kill me here."

He grinned at his wife's blunt, yet apt, description of Nakago before frowning again. She still had the book, which made him worry – that little red book had caused more drama and pain for the two of them in the last four years than he'd experienced in all twenty-one years he'd lived so far, seishi or no. Still, knowing his wife, she wouldn't stop reading the book until the story was done, so he let the subject rest for now, joining her at the couch. "So, where are we now?"

"Umm…" Miaka scanned the page, features lighting when she found the spot she'd left off with the children. "Mitsukake agreed to go with them, they got attacked by a rival bandit gang and Mitsukake got hurt. Tasuki and Chichiri are talking…"

-----

"Chiri, this doesn't feel right at all." Tasuki shook his head, semi-precious gemstones catching the firelight and glinting in agreement. "She's the Priestess of _Seiryuu_. Don't you remember all the crap we went through fighting those guys?"

"Yes I do Tasuki." Chichiri's voice was tense, angry at the implication that he could forget the pain and loss they'd experienced twelve years ago. "But you also know that Nakago was the one pulling the strings. She was just a frightened fifteen year old!"

The bandit 'keh'ed, leaning against a tree as he watched the woman in question tend to their reincarnated friend. When he next spoke, his tone was serious, his accent near to non-existent.

"Fifteen year old or no, none of that stuff had to happen! I mean, Chiri, she may not have given the order, but four of our friends died because of her, and she's waltzing back in to our lives and expects us to just forget it all. I don't know if I can forgive her for that."

The mage sighed. Tasuki had been just a boy when he had to endure the loss of four of his closest friends; those were deep wounds that he knew from experience could take a long time to heal. The only thing their small group could do was wait and hope that he would be able to give Yui a chance for redemption.

"I understand, Tasuki-kun. Just…try and give her a second chance?"

The bandit's reply was a curt nod.

-----

When Chosei woke up, he started a bit, the child beginning to panic at the unfamiliar terrain and fighting with the shadow of his past self, who was insisting he needed to calm down. "Wha – where am I?!"

A face appeared at his sudden outburst, dancing flames illuminating familiar blonde hair and blue eyes, and he calmed. "Chosei, you're awake! Are you feeling okay?"

"Hai, Yui-san. What happened?" He sat up, wincing at the throbbing headache and the fire shooting up his arm.

"Your horse threw you." Yui replied, back turned as she busied herself with the fire. "Your wrist looks sprained and you were knocked out, but I didn't find anything else."

"Chosei-kun! You're awake no da!"

The twelve-year-old redirected his attention to the new voice that had joined the conversation, watching as Chichiri approached them at a near run with another person in tow.

When the two got closer, he could make out red hair and a playful grin, and the past self whispered 'Tasuki' with startling familiarity. Was it really the one of the legendary Suzaku Chosen, the only other to survive the God Wars?! Chosei could remember being told stories of those battles ever since he was a young boy. The bandit-king that could wield fire and run as fast as Suzaku Himself could fly…was this really him?

The redhead had come to a stop beside Chichiri, kneeling to look him over quickly before breaking into a wide grin, canines glinting like tiny fangs. "So you're okay, kid? You were out cold for a while."

Chosei nodded. The older man seemed nice and he liked him immediately. "Yeah, I feel a lot better. Are you Tasuki?"

The redhead puffed his chest out a bit, posing. "That's me!"

Chichiri rubbed his temples with one hand, using the other to bop the beaming redhead over the head. The man yelped in pain, rubbing his sore skull and glaring.

"As you can tell, he's modest too no da." The monk commented dryly. Chosei wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he guessed that it had something to do with the rather conceited comments Tasuki-san had just made, so he laughed anyway, to be polite. Tasuki pouted at their amusement, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"This is all the thanks I get for saving your hides? Chiri, next time you're in trouble, don't count on me to bail you out!"

Chosei watched the two carefully, afraid that the friendly bandit really was angry, but he was smiling just as kindly as he had been earlier, and Chichiri didn't seem angered by the comment. Did they joke like this all the time?

Chichiri matched the bandit grin-for-grin, leaning down to whisper conspiratorially to Chosei, "Tasuki-kun shouldn't expect me to help him next time he and his horse have a falling-out na no da!"

Chosei grinned, laughing outright at the bandit's confused look, the playful banter of only a second ago forgotten. It felt good to be treated like an adult, instead of the loving and restrictive confines he'd grown used to with his mother.

"Okay, okay Chiri, what'd you tell him?" The bandit begged to know. "Don't leave me in the dark here!"

The monk simply shared a very catlike grin with Chosei and shook his head. "Tasuki-kun should be nicer to me if he wants to know no da."

Behind the three men, Yui only smiled, continuing to keep herself occupied. As much as she disliked being ignored, the bonding time was something her three new friends would desperately need. With the clock counting down on their month, and only one seishi found, the camaraderie would be a crucial element to holding the small band of seishi together and united.

-----

Miaka sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to take in this newest section. Tasuki, her fiercely protective fifth warrior, seemed to still remember that night in Kutou very well, and still was hurt deeply by having to put away his pride and . She hoped that Yui didn't attempt to fix it – her friend was a logical, methodical woman, but she never liked people angry at her for any reason, and this wasn't a wound that would go away with a few regretful words and exceptional grades.

Taka noted his wife's silent contemplation. He could somewhat see where her thoughts were headed – he didn't remember too much of his life as a Suzaku seishi, but he did remember fighting with Tasuki, wanting to rip the younger man limb to limb for daring harm his Yui-sama…

Shaking off the memory, he gently took the book from Miaka. "Would you like me to read for a while?"

The grateful, if not slightly startled, smile he received in return was answer enough.

-----

"Wow." Yui breathed, watching wide-eyed as the brick walls surrounding the bandit hideout yawned into view. "This is your hideout?"

Tasuki nodded, pride shining in his eyes as he gestured magnificently forward. "Sure is. Welcome to my home – the Mt. Reikaku bandit hideout!"

He'd no sooner finished his sentence when a boy of maybe seventeen scrambled from the underbrush, pointing a dagger uncertainly at them. The boy was dirty and nervous, brown eyes fearful; this was, Yui mused, probably his first real assignment.

"S-stop right there! Nobody's allowed in unless they're –"

"Invited in by the boss?" Tasuki finished for the boy, eyes hard even as his mouth quirked into a half-smirk. The boy paled, stepping back and dropping his already shaking weapon.

"G-genrou-sama!! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you, I didn't realize…"

Tasuki waved it off. "You did good, kid. Just don't jump out and try to protect the entire fortress by yourself next time, yeah? A partner and some common sense are good."

The youth was immediately chastised, even as his eyes glowed from the brief compliment he'd received from his idol. "O-of course, Genrou-sama. Shall I get Kouji-sama for you?"

"Nah, we'll find him. Put up the horses and tell the men to get ready for a meeting after dinner."

"Yes Genrou-sama!"

-----

"'Kay kid, now sit tight; I'll be back to get you in a sec, okay?"

Chosei could only numbly nod his answer, searching the room with wide eyes. This room was obviously a common room of sorts, and was jammed with men of all ages and sizes, leaving a permanent odor of alcohol and sweat in the room, even in the abandoned corner he'd been led to. Most of the men were either passed out on various tables or playing drinking games; a small group was singing a song he didn't know all the words to, and wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know all the words to. Mother would have never allowed anything like this, he was sure of that!

"Chosei-kun, what are you doing here no da?"

The twelve-year-old spun, coming face-to-chest with Chichiri. The mage was frowning ever so slightly at him, a protective hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Tasuki-san's friend – Kouji, I think – he said to stay here…"

"…this is why Tasuki-san and Kouji should never be allowed around children no da." Chichiri finished for him, looking slightly annoyed. What was Tasuki _thinking_, leaving Chosei in the common room? The boy wasn't even a teenager yet, and most certainly didn't need to see or hear some of the going-ons in here! "Follow me, I'll show you your room."

Chosei nodded, eager to leave the common room. As different as it was from anything he'd ever seen before, he got the feeling that different in this case wasn't necessarily better.

Although later he'd have to remember to ask Tasuki about that song.

-----

Chichiri led Chosei to a large room, big bay windows allowing the setting sun to shine onto a simple bed and chest-of-drawers. It was very sparse, even a bit homely, but to Chosei, who was accustomed to his own small, windowless bedroom and hard pallet, it was as majestic as an emperor's room.

"Here's where you'll be sleeping, Chosei-kun. We'll send your clothes up – you did pack, right? – and let you get settled before dinner tonight."

The twelve-year-old nodded, trying to take in the room and listen to Chichiri at the same time. It wasn't easy.

"Dinner will be in the common room. You've already been there no da." The monk kept his tone light and conversational, but Chosei could hear the slight edge that let him know he was still upset over earlier. Tasuki would probably be getting an earful a little later. "You still have a couple of hours to rest, though. We'll see you down there?"

Chosei gave the room one last, quick once-over. As nice as it would be to test his brand-new bed, he had never explored this part of the forest before. Shouka had made him promise to tell her everything about his trip, and he couldn't very well do that if he slept!

"Thank you, Chichiri-san, but I think I want to explore a little more. Are there any good trails around here?"

-----

Tama growled low in his throat, padding in agitated circles around the clearing. His pet had forgotten to feed him this morning – the mother pet was scary, and she never made his food right – and he went to investigate only to find his pet had gone away with the two nice strangers! He didn't blame his pet – after all, anybody who would give him fish had to be a good person – but he didn't even have the decency to look for Tama!

Humans! They would never get anywhere if it weren't for him.

-----

Yui watched the still waters for a moment, then looked to Chichiri's rod, which was equally motionless. She'd come out here to talk to Chichiri about Tasuki, and how they were going to find the other seishi, and hadn't expected to see him fishing, of all things. Especially since there was nothing that she could see in the water…

"Chichiri-san? You…do realize there's no fish here, right?"

The mage nodded, holding his rod steady. "Of course, Yui-san no da. Are there supposed to be?"

Yui nearly laughed aloud. Fishing without fish was like…like going to the grocery store to window shop. It was absurd!

"I've been told the aim of fishing is to catch fish, so I suppose so."

Chichiri glanced towards her, the mask showing mild surprise. "You've never fished before?"

The nineteen-year-old shrugged. "It was never a big deal before, I guess. I've never had the time, what with school and work and my family…"

Chichiri gestured to the ground nearest him. "Come and sit."

Yui recognized that look. Miaka had given her that look right before running to the Restricted Section. It didn't leave much room for argument.

Well, at least she knew fishing wouldn't take her to some other reality. Besides, she'd been told it was fun by Tetsuya and Keisuke. It'd be a learning experience.

Sitting, Yui reached for the pole. "So what do you do? Sit here and ponder the meaning of life?"

Chichiri shrugged, leaning back to pillow his head in his arms now that his hands were free. "Sometimes na no da."

Yui rolled her eyes. She'd meant the question to be sarcastic, and a tiny part of her got the feeling Chichiri knew that, but she wasn't about to give up in this verbal spar he'd started. It was a relieving change of pace from having her every word accepted as the iron-clad truth, and it was fun to be intellectually challenged by somebody who wasn't…well, a teacher.

"Well, don't you have monkish things to do as well? Meditate and so on?"

Yui couldn't see the half-grin from under Chichiri's mask. The last time he'd been truly challenged like this, intellectually, had been much too long ago. He'd forgotten just how fun it could be.

"Well, I can't do 'monkish things' _all_ the time. That would be boring."

Yui grinned innocently, turning towards him. "And fishing when there's no fish isn't?"

Chichiri was silent for a moment before chuckling, sitting up and grabbing the pole from where Yui had let it drop. A fish was struggling at the other end.

"Ah, but there _are _fish Yui-san. Sometimes you just have to wait for them to come."

Yui watched, open-mouthed and silent, as Chichiri reeled in the struggling salmon. She had a sneaking suspicion that their 'argument' had been about a lot more than fish, and that the monk had planned it all along. But instead of feeling bitter and disappointed about being bested in their battle of wits, as she usually did whenever she lost anything academic in nature, Yui was finding herself – pleased? Yes, that had to be it. She was happy she'd lost – she'd learned something new from losing, and from their subsequent talk, that she probably would have never learned if she'd been the victor.

Maybe she'd have to take up fishing now…

-----

The sun was nearly setting when Chosei finally came to a decision; he was lost. Hopelessly, utterly lost.

It had started out innocently enough – he had taken the trail Chichiri pointed out for him, heading south on a gently sloping part of the mountain he was told would lead all the way into Kutou if they traveled far enough. Of course, he had no interest in going to Kutou; his true interests lie in the breathtaking view Chichiri had described as being about three-quarters of a league from the hideout.

Had he stayed on the trail, the vista point would have been obvious. But there had been so much gorgeous wildlife growing at the sides of the rather boring stone road, and a narrow dirt trail that ultimately distracted him. Now the cheery flora had retreated to be replaced with old-growth forest, tree branches knotted together to create an artificial night sky in their bids for life-giving light.

Chosei had grown up around this area; he did know his way around a forest, knew what signs to look for to find food and drink, how to survive comfortably off of the land. His father had patiently shown him those skills, and he had held on to every word. But his father's greatest warning had been to never get lost in the woods at night. It was simply too dangerous; you couldn't see your footprints, so you couldn't rely on them being accurate enough for you to follow, and all sorts of things lived in the forest that had no qualms about attacking defenseless twelve-year-olds.

Perhaps the safest – and the most risky – option he had was to sit and wait it out. Sooner or later they'd realize he was gone, and they'd come out to find him. He just hoped it would be sooner rather than later. The air smelled fresh and sharp, and he could hear thunder rolling the distance; Chosei really didn't want to be stuck out in the coming storm.

-----

The sun had nearly set when Chichiri and Yui finally entered the hideout, having a good-natured argument over who had technically caught the salmon that Chichiri had let free.

"You know I caught it, monk-san. I was the one holding the pole, and moving the bait."

"Ah, but Yui-san, would you have been able to catch it had I not put the rod there in the first place? Besides, I'm the one that took control when you got distracted."

Their debate continued until they reached the dining commons. The room, which had been dirty and cramped only a few hours ago, now shone. He had a feeling Tasuki had organized this to impress Yui and try to make amends (not that the bandit leader would ever admit it, of course). The table was nearly overflowing with all sorts of delicacies – boar, venison, fish, and soups were among them. Miaka would've been in heaven; there was no doubt in Yui's mind that the sight in front of her was part of the reason Miaka had praised the Reikaku bandits so highly in her retellings.

But while Yui had been taking in the sights and smells of a Reikaku dinner, Chichiri had been scanning the room for his fellow two seishi. There was Tasuki, but where was Chosei? A quick ki scan came back with no sign of him anywhere in the hideout. Procrastination had never been a part of Mitsukake's personality; he took his time to do things, true, but he always was on time, and was always punctual. Unless reincarnation had changed that key character trait, something had gone wrong on Chosei's hike. And unless his senses deceived him, a storm was getting ready to come in; the air felt heavy and oppressive, and he could hear the wind beginning to whistle and howl.

Of course, it was possible he was just over-reacting. After all, Chosei was a teenaged boy – he probably just lost track of time and was still exploring. There was no need for him to panic; hadn't Chosei proven himself already to be a fairly level-headed and intelligent young man? He could take care of himself.

The reasoning seemed logical, but there was still something nagging at the back of his mind that he was wrong, dead wrong, and Chichiri had never ignored that instinct before. Quietly setting the fishing pole against the doorframe, Chichiri slipped back out into the cold.

Yui turned, ready to ask Chichiri if grand meals like this were normal, and noticed the empty space the monk had occupied only seconds ago. Where did he go? She tapped one bandit on the shoulder, a tanned, grizzled face turning to face her. The bandit looked utterly bored, and Yui momentarily forgot what she had been about to say; the man frightened her a bit.

"Ah, bandit-san…do you know where Chichiri went?"

"Chiri? Monk-boy?" The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nah, haven't seen him since y'all came in earlier."

"…oh. Er, thank you." She excused herself as politely as she could, and the man nodded before turning his back to her.

Now what would she do? She didn't know anybody in the stronghold – well, except for Tasuki and Kouji. But…well, she didn't really know either of them like she had grown to know Chichiri. She was comfortable with Chichiri – he was friendly and okay with the fact that she didn't really know anything about this world or it's customs. Kouji and Tasuki were both quick-tempered and a bit loud – what if they laughed at her?

Nearly everybody was seated now; Yui had to make a decision, and fast. Finally screwing up her courage, she marched as proudly as she could over to Kouji's side, sitting beside him. The co-leader seemed a bit surprised, but said nothing.

-----

Rain began to fall harder than before, lashing droplets clinging to his kesa and making the gravity-defying bangs lay flush to Chichiri's jawline. Chichiri pressed on, though, stopping every once in a while and closing his eyes as he mentally scanned the area for any signs of the teenager.

Either Chosei was farther away than he had originally thought, or something was seriously wrong, because Chichiri had gone on like this for at least an hour and not found a trace of him. And looking over the vista point and out onto the sheets of dark rain and misty gray clouds that covered the parts of Konan he could see, he knew he was at a dead end.

Could he have missed a turn? The trails out here, though incredibly beautiful, were confusing; he'd been hiking out here many times and still managed to get himself hopelessly lost sometimes. That would explain why he couldn't sense Chosei; if the young boy had gone off on his own, he would have been out of range of Chichiri's ki-sensing.

Turning resolutely, Chichiri straightened the soaked cloak around his shoulders, set the kasa askew on his limp and wet bangs – and continued searching.

-----

Taka paused, looking at the clock on the wall across from them. 10:15, already? How had it gotten so late so quickly?

Miaka was fighting yawns at his side, looking a little upset that he had stopped where he had. The twenty-year-old understood her annoyance; the story was becoming real to him as well, and he longed to begin translating the kanji that had so obligingly appeared. Unfortunately, they both had work and school, and he didn't want to fall asleep on the job – his deft mind was already calculating the amount his boss would dock for each minute of shut-eye he stole while on the clock. And as much as the people at the daycare loved his young wife, they wouldn't be happy if she fell asleep and left the children unattended.

"Miaka, I think we're going to have to call it a night." He murmured. She looked ready to argue, ready to use the hidden reserves of logic and reasoning that always managed to leave him unable to defend himself, when she yawned. With a sheepish smile, Miaka laughed, gently.

"I suppose you're right, love. But tomorrow, after work, can we…"

"Of course." Taka didn't need to hear the end of his beloved's sentence to know what she wanted, and he too had grown interested in Yui's tale over the last two hours. He got the feeling that if he argued the story was evil now, after having enjoyed reading it with Miaka, Miaka would tear into him for being a hypocrite. So for the night, at least, Taka decided to let the issue rest. He would be having a talk with Miaka later, though.

"But now, let's get to bed."

-----

The steady tattoo of rain against foliage was suddenly broken by a yell. Chichiri's head snapped to his left, and he wheeled in that direction, breaking into a full-out run.

-----

Author's Note (Oct. 24, 2006):

Did y'all miss me? XD Though after reading that little snippet, I'm sure you'd rather I just stayed away for a couple more months! E-gads!

Well, it's been nearly a year (!) in the making, but there's chapter 6 for your reading pleasure. I'm sorry for the long wait – to tell the truth, the last four pages or so of this stuck me for a long time, and I don't think I need to add in personal life's getting incredibly confusing. But a lot has changed since my last update, and I can only hope this means that my muse is back for good and that updates like the last one will be few and far between. :)

I'll be e-mailing those of you who did review (thank you, by the way!). And until next chapter, I remain, as always…

otaku


	7. Chapter 7

**Phoenix Ashes**

By otaku-no-miko

**Notes (May 15, 2007):** Wow, I'm _awful_ at this speedy update thing. You'd think at least I could offer a nice meaty chapter, but…well, this one was hard, and I've been busy. I graduate in 8 days; I'm going to my college orientation in a week. Still, it's no real excuse, and I apologize. Luckily, with this chapter out I know what I want to do for the next chapter or two, so I shouldn't have my muse leave me paralyzed for another seven months. This chapter is fairly interesting of itself, personally; I like it, at least. I hope you all enjoy!

As usual, I'll e-mail reviewers my thank-you's (I wish I could do more, you guys deserve so much more!), and without NightMare I would be lost.

See you at the bottom everyone!

**Chapter 7**

5:57…

Couldn't the clock move any faster? It felt to Miaka as if the dumb seconds' hand was actually moving backwards instead of forwards like a proper clock, and she was anxious to return home to Taka and the book.

_Oh, I knew I shouldn't have opened the book this morning!_ Miaka thought as the clock ticked forward one more minute.

5:58...

_But who knew that Chosei would end up being in danger?_

5:59. Perhaps her boss would let her go a little early? All the kids were gone already, and she'd picked everything up – all that was left was the sweeping, which he could do.

_Well, it's at least worth a shot._

"Kaju-san? Do you think I could pack up and leave a little early?..."

-----

Taka sighed. Well, today hadn't gone all that great. He'd been pitching his latest creation – a toy bear that could sing and dance to any song a child recorded into the built-in cassette player – but the company had been disinterested. Said it wasn't modern enough, that his demographic would be uninterested…

But he'd show them. There were other companies out there – soon, Genki Play would be begging for the chance to market his merchandise. For now, he'd just have to explain to the restaurant why he missed work today and hope they didn't fire him.

"Taka? Taka, you're hoooooooooome!!!"

For such a diminutive woman, Miaka had a lot of strength hiding in her, and the force of her tackle nearly knocked Taka over. He caught the doorframe and used it to hold them up, wrapping his free hand around her waist to support her.

"Did you miss me today?" He asked, smiling despite himself. His young wife's smile was infectious.

"Of course." She replied, kissing the tip of his nose. "So did you knock their socks off with Teddy-oke?"

Taka shook his head no, closing the door. "They said it wasn't modern enough, and it would be a waste of time to market."

Miaka frowned. "Well, they obviously don't know quality when they see it." She poked his chest, bringing her husband's eyes back to her face. "It only means they aren't the perfect company to market your merchandise, ne? We'll find that company someday, I know it! For now, though, what do you say we order out and read a little more?"

Taka nodded wordlessly. Normally, he'd probably give Miaka a hard time about wanting to be involved with the dangerous book that had wormed its way into their lives (again), but after today he just didn't have the energy. Genki Play had been rude and uncooperative, and they'd left him feeling tired, angry, and a little depressed. As much as he hated to admit it, curling up on the couch with a blanket and something warm and greasy sounded really nice right now.

"Pizza's on speed-dial. I'll go get some blankets."

-----

Chosei couldn't stand dead bodies; something about the absence of another's ki had always set him on edge, and seeing his father's corpse three years ago, clammy and pale and so _empty_ had reinforced that fear.

The little boy he'd accidentally stepped on wasn't dead, not yet anyways. He was completely naked (who in their right minds would run around in a rainstorm _naked_?!) and his lips were turning a sick shade of purpley-blue from the cold. The young boy's entire body was covered in deep cuts and scratches, some of them half-sealed and weeping, others new and angry red. He was a mess.

Chosei kneeled carefully beside him, taking off his wet overcoat and ripping a long strip out of the bottom. He wrapped the largest gash, a deep cut that lanced across the boy's lower left arm, and laid his coat over the young boy. It wouldn't do much, but it was better than nothing for now.

That little voice, the past him, came back again. _Why don't you heal him? You can do it, you know how to do it, and this boy needs it._

He shook his head fiercely in disagreement. Chosei couldn't heal; if he knew how, if he could control it, then 'tou-san would still be alive. 'Tou-san had believed in him, and in the end, it got him killed. No, he'd find Chichiri and the hideout, and he'd have the bandit's physicians take care of the little boy. They wouldn't mess up like he had.

-----

Chichiri's lungs were screaming at him for air, and his legs were on fire. _I'm getting old na no da; I can't keep doing this sort of thing…_

He cursed himself for his weakness, pushing forward, looking with his mind's eye for Chosei. The scream had been near here, he had to be close…

There!

He wheeled hard to the right, nearly losing his balance, and continued through the trees. "Chosei!!"

He didn't have to run far before he found the twelve-year-old, huddled in a small ball on the ground, shaking violently. To Chosei's immediate left was a small lump, covered by the boy's jacket. Chichiri sprinted the last few yards, unclasping the kesa from his shoulders. He kneeled beside Chosei, tossing the kesa over his shoulders and rubbing the child's arms to warm them.

Chosei looked up, grey-blue eyes wide. "C-chichiri?"

The mage nodded, feeling the adrenaline flood away as he hugged the boy fiercely. Chosei was burning with the beginnings of a fever, but he was safe. Chichiri had made it.

"Why aren't you wearing your coat na no da?"

Chosei nodded towards the bundle on the ground. "H-he's really hurt, 'Chiri. I covered him up…"

The logical side of Chichiri wondered why Chosei hadn't healed him (after all, he _was_ the reincarnation of Mitsukake), but he pushed that question aside for another day. Mitsukake had never been known for doing things (or in this case _not_ doing things) on impulse; it was likely Chosei had a good reason he didn't want to share at the moment.

Instead of lingering on that rather confusing train of thought, he put one hand on the injured boy's neck, feeling for a pulse. The pulse was sluggish and weak, and Chichiri frowned darkly. He wasn't sure exactly how the young boy had managed to hold out this long, but he wasn't likely to make it for much longer.

He grabbed one of Chosei's hands and one of the pale child's hands (they were both so cold!), whispering the transportation chant as rapidly as possible. With a 'pop' of displaced air, the three figures disappeared into the night.

-----

Yui frowned into the bowl that had been set in front of her, playing with the grains of rice with a chopstick. The food was amazing, and she did enjoy it, but it was hard to concentrate with the only two seishi she had so far missing.

_Where could they be?_

She nudged one grain towards another one idly, making the rice dance choppy circles around one another.

_Well, Chosei wasn't here earlier – it's completely possible Chichiri went after him._

The rice stopped dancing, instead now colliding with one another clumsily as her choreographed jabs became more and more halfhearted.

_But he could've said something to me before going…_

Pop!

Yui jumped, turning instinctively towards the sound. Chichiri and Chosei were behind her, Chichiri holding both the shivering twelve-year-old and another comatose form. The mage himself looked drained, mask pale and pinched in concentration. Rice now forgotten, Yui rushed to his side, placing one hand to Chichiri's forehead.

"Chichiri, you're soaked to the bone! You'll end up sick!"

The mage smiled wryly at her well-meaning but misplaced care, shaking her head away from his forehead. "Chosei's already feverish na no da, and this little boy is in serious need of help right now."

Yui immediately looked to Chosei, who was shuddering violently in Chichiri's arms. The young healer smiled weakly. "I'm okay. J-just need a little rest."

The nineteen-year-old was tempted to argue with Chosei, but the words died when she looked over the third member of the ragtag group.

How had this kid even managed to hold out this long? He was naked and shivering (probably had a horrid fever, poor thing), and he was positively covered in scars and cuts, most already puffy and swollen with infection. One of her friends working in the ER had told her once of a couple hurt this badly in an ugly car accident – they hadn't made it. The parallels were enough to make her feel a little sick.

The bandits had grown completely silent, watching her expectantly. The physician among them rose and pushed the startled woman aside, taking the injured boy from Chichiri.

"What's wrong with you, never seen somebody cut up from a fight before? I've dealt with a few men this bad in my time." He remarked gruffly, nodding towards the still form in his arms. "I can take care of this one. You can get the other one, right _girl_?"

Yui nodded, too shocked and numb to even react to his disdainful tone. "O-of course."

Chichiri, however, narrowed his eye. This physician was incredibly skilled, and had patched him up many times over the years, but he still had no right to treat Yui like a stupid village girl.

"You treat the boy, Nergui-san, and learn a little bit more respect before I see you next; I'm sure Tasuki-kun wouldn't appreciate being told one of his bandits couldn't treat a woman properly. Am I understood?"

The physician glared, but nodded yes. He may not have agreed with the mage, but he knew better than to go up against a Suzaku no Seishi, especially Chichiri-sama. All the bandits had heard stories, tales that he didn't fancy checking the truth behind in this lifetime.

Wordlessly, Chichiri rose, shaking slightly from exhaustion but refusing Yui's helping arm. "Yui-san, the infirmary is this way no da."

-----

Yui wrung out the small cloth compress once more, placing it gently on Chosei's head. The twelve-year-old had initially protested being treated like an invalid ("I'm fine, really!"), but as soon as he'd been given some dry clothing and a warm bed, the boy had been out like a light. Chichiri was perched on an adjoining bed, watching Chosei's quiet sleep-breathing.

"He's gonna be okay, Chichiri. He's got a fever and he'll probably end up with a beauty of a cold, but he'll be fine with some re –"

The door slammed open, abruptly silencing the nineteen-year-old as Tasuki rushed in, looking around the room with wild eyes.

Chichiri was up almost as soon as the bandit leader appeared, a calm eye on his younger companion's face. "Tasuki, we're okay."

The bandit sighed, visibly deflating. "Damn, 'Chiri, you baka monk, you had me worried outta my skin…Kouji told me you were stupid enough to run out in the storm and get your sorry ass sick."

The wry grin in Chichiri's voice was audible. "My ass is none of your concern, Tasuki-kun, but I assure you it is in fine shape."

"Smart-ass." Tasuki responded fondly, clapping a hand to Chichiri's shoulder. When he turned to Yui, the smile was firmly in place, all traces of the serious mage she'd heard a second ago gone.

"If it weren't for Yui-san, we'd be a lot worse off na no da!"

Tasuki's amber eyes turned to Yui, almost as if he were analyzing the young woman for the first time. It was an unnerving experience, and Yui squirmed under his gaze.

"What about Nergui? He's a crappy bandit but the best healer I've got."

Chichiri's voice hardened. "He's a pretty crappy gentleman too na no da, but he's working on healing the other boy that Chosei was with."

Tasuki nodded, finally looking away from Yui (who, for her part, felt like she'd just passed a horribly difficult exam). "Nergui's got no manners on him; I'll be sure to talk to him about it. What's up with the other kid?"

"Nergui-san thinks he got on the wrong side of an angry animal; he's got some pretty bad cuts on him no da, but if he can pull through the fever he should make it. That reminds me, I said I'd go back in there to help out…"

" 'Course Chiri. I'll come with you."

Tasuki and Chichiri both began to leave, but Tasuki stopped, his back still turned to Yui.

"Hey, Yui."

The nineteen-year-old looked back up from her thoughts, slightly startled. "Yes?"

"I'll come with you."

Without another word, he left.

-----

Taka put the book down, taking a quick swig from his soda. Well, that had been interesting. From what he could remember of Tasuki, he didn't budge from his beliefs often, and he never did anything lightly – not anything important, at least. His last statement held a lot more weight than it seemed to, and he hoped Yui understood that.

Miaka took the book from the table, ignoring her nearly untouched dinner in favor of the black characters appearing on the page. "I'll read for a while, is that okay?"

Taka nodded.

"Okay, um…there we are! 'The youngest star's recovery was slow and arduous…'"

-----

"Have you seen him?"

"No na no da. Where could he have gone?"

The reply was sarcastic. "Well, its not like he could've gone far – after all, this fortress is tiny, _right_ Tasuki-san?"

"Hey! Don't blame the fuckin' architecture on me! It's not my fault the runt decided he was sick of bein' cooped up an' ran off – who would've known that Mitsukake was so damned good at hiding?"

The three fell silent for a moment, Yui about to speak when she heard something, so soft she at first wasn't sure she hadn't imagined it. Somebody was giggling, and she had a good idea of who it was.

The noise apparently hadn't gone unnoticed by her companions; Chichiri put a finger to his lips and motioned down the hall to Yui. She nodded, and the two of them started to walk purposefully down the hall.

"Well, we won't find him by standing around na no da."

"True. Tasuki-san, could you check the other half of the fortress again? Maybe we missed him. We'll meet back here."

-----

Chosei felt like he was grinning hard enough to split his face in half. He had tricked them! Chichiri didn't seem to have even thought of doing a ki check, and Yui-san hadn't even noticed him right under her nose!

"I gotta admit Mits, this was a pretty good hidin' place."

Gods! Chosei jumped, whirling to face a smirking Tasuki. How had he…?

"You would've never been caught if you hadn't made a noise." Tasuki rolled his eyes, poking Chosei's chest. "A good bandit never celebrates 'til he's back with the loot."

Chosei pouted. "Tasukiiiii, she'll make me get back in bed. And I'm _so_ bored! My fever broke yesterday _and_ I'm not coughing anymore!"

"She's just worried about you, kiddo. 'Sides, it would've been pretty crappy of her to force you out an' about Konan sick."

The twelve-year-old sighed, flouncing back against the sacks of grain. A few loose pieces fell in a small whirlwind around him. "I guess I get it. But you guys still gotta find Temujin, and he told me he's really good at this game."

"Temujin? Who's that?"

-----

On the other side of the fortress, another little voice giggled, echoing off of the empty room and bouncing against pots and pans. Temujin loved this game! Nee-chan never played with him anymore (she was so serious now, he wasn't sure why…), but sometimes the wolves did, and they were really good at this game too. They told him their secrets, how they managed to hide so well, where to hide so nobody could find you, and it made changing not quite so bad.

Well…normally it did. Last night the wolves hadn't wanted to play. They had been mean, snarling and growling and biting and hurting…

But now, now Temujin had found somebody else to play his game. He didn't need those mean old wolves anymore!

Another bandit passed by, looking straight at his hiding place, and Temujin suppressed a wild urge to giggle. Chosei would never find him!

-----

The other kid was good; really, really good. Luckily, he was in a bandit's stronghold, and there were very few people who could manipulate shadows as well as the Reikaku bandits. After all, if they couldn't hide well enough for an ambush, how could they ever get any loot?

It still took over an hour for thirty men to find the six-year-old, who was hidden in an old cubbyhole in the storeroom.

Yes, Tasuki thought with a wry half-grin, the kid would make a pretty damned good bandit when he got older.

Right now the six-year-old was glaring petulantly at the world, genuinely upset his hiding place had been discovered. He'd refused to come out of his hiding spot, small canines bared in a wolf's snarl when they tried to pull him out. Finally, Chichiri had done some rather nifty magic and pulled the boy loose by force, and the little brat had nearly clawed their eyes out. He was quick and vicious. Animalistic, almost, in his tendencies…

The Seiryu no miko (no, _Yui_, Tasuki reminded himself; he needed to try using her actual given name) looked a little shocked, as if she were waking up from a dream so real that the real world seemed false in comparison.

"…Ashitare?"

-----

It _had _to be Ashitare. Yui was used to the ki signature; it was as if a part of her had been missing up to this moment. Her seventh seishi…

She didn't remember a lot of Ashitare; a frightening vicious wolfman with sad eyes, a lifeless wolf…at the time she hadn't wanted anything to do with the "monster". Her seishi hadn't been real to her then; if she got to know and trust and care about them…it would be hard to say they were just characters.

Why hadn't she realized earlier? She'd been so single-mindedly worried about Chosei, trying to make sure he lived, that she hadn't even bothered to check on the small boy Chosei had saved.

-----

Ashitare? Yes, Temujin recognized the name; kaa-san had used it sometimes, usually when she was angry and smelled of fear. But he'd never met this strange light-haired woman before, so how did she know…?

Even if he couldn't place her face or her name, his mind remembered the scent; it had never forgotten. The wolves would have called her the alpha female, the first-in-command, answering only to her mate the alpha male. His human mind supplied a different word though.

Miko.

---

Well, how's that for a character intro? I rather like Temu; uber points to anybody who knows where I got his name from! Anyways, I don't really have much to say, so…please review, and I hope you all stick around for the next chapter!

Until next time,

otaku


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